Family Ties
by The Equestrian Writer
Summary: There's a new girl in Hudson, who says she's only here for the wide open spaces and country air. But what connection does she have to Ty? Ty almost seems horrified at her arrival, but he won't tell Amy anything. Who is this mysterious girl?
1. The New Girl

**A/N: **Hi, so this is my first Heartland fanfic following the tv show. I was actually going to post it before season 4 started, obviously that didn't happen. So, I tweaked a few things and I'm posting it now. Please read it and tell me what you think.

**Summary: **[Takes place after season 4, before season 5, with the only exception being, there is no Peter, it's Lou/Scott instead.] There's a new girl in Hudson, who says she's only here for the wide open spaces and country air. But what connection does she have to Ty? Ty almost seems horrified at her arrival, but he won't tell Amy anything. Who is this mysterious girl? And what effect will she have on Amy and Ty getting back together?

**Chapter One**

**The New Girl**

The black gelding huffed a long sigh as he plodded into Heartland ranch, carrying his rider- eighteen year old Amy Fleming- after a long trail ride. It was their first ride in a little over a week. Things had been hectic at Heartland, the horse rescue ranch Amy's mother had started several years back. Although, her mother was no longer with them, due to a tragic car accident, her legacy still lived on at Heartland, in Amy herself.

Everything was almost back to normal, the barn was at about half its' capacity now that most of the problem horses that had come in were now back with their owners. The sudden influx in horses had left Amy little time with her own horse, Spartan. Amy stopped the gelding by the barn and sighed. It wouldn't feel normal again, until the hollow, empty feeling inside her went away. And there was only one person who could fill it.

Amy sighed again and dismounted. Spartan nudged her arm affectionately. Amy smiled at what Spartan seemed to be telling her, live in the present (like the horses do) and don't stress over what might or might not happen.

"You're right, boy," Amy said to the gelding, scratching his ears. "We just have to trust each other again. Things will work themselves out."

"Talking to the horses again, Amy?" Amy turned around to see the young blonde, known as Mallory standing just inside the barn with a lead rope in her hands. "Hate to break it to you Amy, but that horse will not answer you back."

"Don't mock," Amy laughed, leading Spartan into the barn. "I've heard you talk to Copper before."

"Yeah, but I don't talk to him like he's going to talk back," Mallory contradicted. "There's a difference."

"Okay," Amy said as she took Spartan's saddle off from inside his stall. She placed the heavy western saddle on the stall door and that's when she noticed it. A dun gelding stood in the stall across the aisle. "Is that the horse Grandpa said was coming this morning?" she asked Mallory.

"Yeah, you totally missed it," Mallory said. "When Jack tried to get him off the trailer, he went totally crazed. He didn't stop until Jack backed away. The girl who brought him had to do it and he was like a different horse."

Amy took the saddle and bridle and left the stall, the whole time she didn't take her eyes off the new horse. The gelding stood at the back of the stall, dozing. Which was strange because it usually took most horses who came here a day or two to settle into their new surroundings. But this horse was perfectly content to be in a place he's never been before.

"What's his name?" Amy asked walking up to the stall. The gelding lifted his head and looked at her.

"Duke," Mallory answered and then she headed out of the barn to the pastures.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The bell over the door rang as a young girl around the age of eighteen walked into Maggie's Diner and Tack. She had medium-length cocoa brown hair and startling green eyes. The girl scanned the small diner and then walked up to the counter. A girl about her age came up to her as she sat down.

"What can I get you?" Soraya asked.

"Coffee, please," the girl answered, taking out her wallet. "This is exactly what I needed."

"What is?" Soraya asked pouring coffee into a cup.

"This town," the girl explained sliding money across the table. "It's so quiet here, I can actually think, even breathe. Hudson is so much different than Calgary."

"You're from Calgary?" Soraya questioned.

The girl took a sip of her coffee and nodded. "I've lived there my whole life," she said. "And I couldn't stand it."

Soraya nodded and moved off to help another costumer. That's when the brunette noticed a flier hanging on the wall behind the counter. _It can't be this easy, _she thought to herself.

"Hey, where do I sign-up?" she asked.

Soraya turned to look at her, then at the flier and then back again. Soraya walked over and pulled another sheet of paper off the wall with a pen. "Right here," she put the paper on the counter. "You sing?"

"A little," the girl smiled, picking up the pen. She scribbled her name on the sheet. Then she put the pen down and stood up. "See you Friday night,"

"Bye," Soraya said, as the girl left the diner. She looked down at the sign-up sheet and a look of shock crossed her face as she read the girl's name.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Duke, the dun gelding who arrived this morning, nuzzled Amy's neck affectionately. She had just finished a join-up session, which had gone rather quickly for a new horse. As elated as Amy was she was beginning to wonder if the horse had a problem at all. So far, he had shown what a kind, gentle, easy-tempered horse he was. Maybe what Mallory told her was a one-time occurrence from the stress of a long trailer ride or something triggered the reaction, but what?

Amy clipped a lead to Duke's halter and led him out of the round pen. Once inside the barn, Amy hooked the gelding up to crossties and grabbed a body brush. The horse hadn't even broken out in sweat. Duke snorted and turned his head, as far as the crossties would allow, and looked at her.

"Well, you're just a mystery, aren't you?" Amy said stroking the gelding's face. Suddenly, Duke swiveled his head around and stared out the barn entrance, ears pricked, nostrils flaring, and muscles trembling. The next moment, Jack Bartlett, Amy's grandfather, appeared in the entrance. Duke's entire demeanor changed. He stood rigid, eyes wide, his legs tense, ready to flee. Amy noticed the change in the horse just as Jack spoke.

"How's it going with-"

He didn't get to finish because Duke exploded, the gelding shot backwards, snapping one of the crossties off the wall. His nose was in the air and he was threatening to rear. "Easy boy," Amy soothed walking slowly over to the frightened horse. "Easy, you're alright," When she was close enough, Amy grabbed the broken crosstie.

After Duke was calm and in his stall, Amy went outside to find Jack. She found her grandfather by the woodpile, chopping wood. Jack looked up when he heard her approach.

"How's the horse?" he asked her.

"Better, but he's still a little antsy," Amy answered. "By the way he just blew up at the sight of you, he must have had some kind of trauma involving men in his life. And now he had developed a general fear of men."

"Certainly explains everything," Jack said.

"Do you think the owner knows something about-" She was cut off by her cell phone ringing. She looked at it and then at Jack. Jack nodded for her to answer it. Amy took the phone out and saw that it was Soraya.

"Hey, Soraya," Amy answered, walking a few feet away.

"Hey, are you busy right now?" Soraya asked, getting straight to the point.

"Not really," Amy said. "Why?"

"I need you to come to the diner right away," Soraya told her best friend. "It concerns Ty."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So what's so important that you couldn't tell me over the phone?" Amy asked when she sat down at the counter of Maggie's Diner.

Soraya turned to her best friend and slid a vanilla milkshake across the counter. "When she first came in I didn't think anything of it. But after I saw her name, I realized that there was some resemblance between the two of them."

"Okay, stop," Amy interrupted her best friend, after she took a sip of her milkshake. "What are you talking about?"

"How much do you know about Ty's family?" Soraya asked, getting to the point.

Amy shrugged, stirring the straw around the glass. "His dad left his mom when he was young. His mom remarried to that Wade guy, who abused both of them. That's it."

"What about a sister?" Soraya questioned.

"Ty doesn't have a sister," Amy told her, shaking her head.

"Then explain this," Soraya slid a piece of paper across the counter. Amy looked down at it. It was the sign-up sheet for the karaoke night this weekend. There was only a few names written on it, but the last name caught Amy's eye.

_Rebecca Borden._

**A/N: **So, what do you think? Please review and tell me what you think.


	2. New Guests and a Ruined Dinner

**A/N:** Merry Christmas! I'm sorry for the long wait, but 'tis the season for giving. And I give you the second chapter as a Christmas present. Thank you all who reviewed this story, it means so much to me that you like it.

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

Amy sat on Spartan just yards away from Ty's trailer, formerly Caleb's trailer, trying to work up the nerve to go in. Ty had come back from his classes only a few minutes ago and Amy nearly backed out at the sight of him. Harley must have spotted them from his corral because suddenly he let out an ear-splitting whinny at the sight of Spartan.

Now, she had to go in. Ty would have heard his horse, knowing Harley had seen someone. Amy cued Spartan forward and the gelding eagerly obliged, wanting to see his friend who was now pawing at the gate.

In that moment, the door to the trailer opened and Ty came out saying, "What's the matter, Harley?" He stopped when he saw Amy. Amy dismounted from Spartan, who was sniffing noses with Harley and tied him to the fence. "Hey," Ty said walking up to her.

"Hey," Amy replied after she finished loosening Spartan's cinch. "Harley looks good," she observed, watching Harley nuzzle Ty, trying to get his attention.

"Yeah," Ty said giving his horse a rub. There was another long, awkward silence, both wanted to break it, but not sure how.

"Okay, I don't know how to say this, but...ok, Soraya told me..." Amy trailed off, not sure how to say it. "Ty, do you have a sister?"

Ty's brow knitted in confusion as he studied her. "No, I don't," he answered. "What made you ask that? You know about my family."

"Well, Soraya said that this girl came to the diner and that she looked a lot like you," Amy explained walking over to the couch and sitting down. "She said her name was Rebecca Borden."

A small spark of recognition flashed in his eyes and he murmured, "Rebecca," He came and sat down next to Amy.

"Do you know her?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, she's my cousin," Ty answered, turning to look at Amy. "I haven't seen her since...my dad left. She three years younger than me, but but we were very close. Almost like siblings."

"How come you never mentioned her before?" Amy asked him.

Ty looked down and didn't speak for several minutes. "After my dad left, I didn't want anything to do with him. I mean, he left us, thinking of those memories of us and Rebecca's family wasn't going to bring him back."

"Ty, you were a little boy, you'd just lost your-"

"Amy, NO!" Ty snapped, standing abruptly and walking to the edge of the porch, resting his forearm on the support beam. He was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry."

Amy got up and came to stand next to him. "What about Rebecca?" she asked.

A small smile erupted on his face as he said, "It would be good to see her," He looked down at her as he took her hand in his own. Amy smiled up at him and rested her head on his shoulder. Ty kissed her hair, but Amy could feel that something wasn't right. There was something Ty wasn't telling her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Who's getting so big?" Lou cooed to her six-month-old daughter as she lifted the baby up out of the crib. Holly made quiet noises and Lou laughed, "Are you trying to talk?" The baby just looked at her with big, brown eyes. Lou laid Holly carefully down on the changing table and began stripping off the baby's soiled pajamas.

Lou had just put on a clean diaper on Holly when the phone started ringing. "Mallory, can you get that!" Lou called to the sixteen-year-old, who she knew was in the kitchen doing homework, as she reached for a pink onesie. Holly took the opportunity to roll over and almost fall off the table. "Oh, no you don't," The phone was still ringing. "Mallory!"

The persistent ringing kept on.

With a sigh, Lou dropped the onesie, scooped up the diaper-clad baby and hurried out of the room. "Mallory, I asked you to get the phone," Lou said to the younger girl when she came into the kitchen. The girl didn't even look up. "Hello, Heartland Equestrian Connection," Lou answered the phone, while starting to bounce Holly, who had begun to whimper, on her hip. She tried to get Mallory's attention as she listened to the girl on the other end of the phone.

"Well, we don't usually rent out rooms to just—oh, your _agent_ recommended us..." Lou started to go to to the oven after it beeped when Holly's whimpers turned into a full-blown cry. Losing her patience, Lou put the phone between her ear and shoulder and grabbed the first thing she could. A cap to one of Holly's bottles. And threw it at the oblivious blonde sitting at the table.

"Hey!" Mallory exclaimed, ripping out her earbuds and looking at Lou. Lou gestured for her to take Holly. Mallory did, glaringly, and took the baby to the nursery to dress her.

"I'm sorry, what did you-" Lou said turning her attention back to the girl on the phone. She grabbed a piece of paper and pen and started writing stuff down. "Yes, we do have an opening..."

"Absolutely, I'll see you then," Lou replied a few minutes later and hung up the phone. She looked up to see Mallory and a now-dressed Holly watching her. "We have a new guest coming to the dude ranch tomorrow. She's a new up-and-coming singer and songwriter. She's not sure how long she'd be staying, but I told her that wouldn't be a problem."

"Sounds good," Mallory said putting Holly in her bouncy seat and sitting back down at the table. "But did you have to write all over my geometry homework?" She held up the paper in question.

"Well, if I had some help, I wouldn't have had been too distracted to notice," Lou replied. "You're supposed to be my babysitter, but it seems like I'm doing twice as much work as I did before."

"I have to go anyways or I'm going to be late for dinner," Mallory said as she began to pack up her stuff.

"Wait, I thought you were eating here?" Lou asked.

Mallory gave her a pointed look and Lou turned toward the oven, where there was smoke coming through the door. Lou gasped and ran to get the dinner. While Mallory stuffed the last of her books into her bag. She took one last look at the geometry sheet. Her mouth formed an "o" when she read the name of the guest that was coming to the dude ranch tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm sorry it's short, but I wasn't sure what I was going to put in this chapter. I'll try to have the next chapter up sooner this time. In the meantime, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays!

Oh, yeah, and please review.


	3. Rebecca comes to Heartland

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the super duper long wait, but I'm getting back into a rhythm with all my stories and they will all be updated regularly. Thank you to everybody who reviewed, I really appreciate hearing what you have to say.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything. All characters, places, etc., belong to all the wonderful writers on the Heartland production crew, CBC and Lauren Brooke.

**Chapter Three**

Rebecca slid onto one of the stools at Maggie's, her guitar case next to her and her duffel bag on her other side. She pulled her earbuds out when Soraya came up to her with a smile.

"Nice to see you again," Soraya greeted, she nodded at Rebecca's stuff. "Going somewhere?"

Rebecca pressed pause on her ipod and said, "Actually, I'm moving into my new place today."

"Oh, that's great," Soraya replied. "What was that song that was playing on your ipod?"

"Oh, just something that I wrote," Rebecca answered, stuffing her ipod into her pocket. She glanced at the menu in front of her. "I'll have a tea and french toast, please."

Soraya scribbled the order down on her notepad and handed it off to the kitchen staff. When she came back she asked, "So you're a songwriter?"

"Struggling songwriter and singer," Rebecca corrected, laughing. "It's a lot harder than everybody thinks it is."

"You two pretty ladies wouldn't happen to be talking about me, would you?" a voice said from behind Rebecca. Rebecca turned and saw a very good-looking cowboy standing there. He had curly blonde hair underneath a black stetson and soft brown eyes that pulled you right in. He also were plain jeans with a belt buckle and a white and black striped-collared shirt, but he looked like he just stepped out of an equestrian magazine.

"Hey, Caleb," Soraya greeted and then went to greet another customer who had just walked in. Caleb sat down on the stool next to Rebecca and smiled.

"I don't think we've met before and I'd remember a pretty face like yours," Caleb smiled. "I'm Caleb."

Rebecca blushed a little at his compliment and said, "Rebecca, I just moved here from Calgary." She saw him glance down at her guitar case. "I'm also a struggling musician. Interested?"

"I think I am," Caleb admitted. "But I have to be honest with you, I am divorced."

"Well, I just got out of a bad relationship, who says I'm ready for a commitment," Rebecca replied. She said a quick thank you to Soraya when the other girl placed her food in front of her. She took a sip of the tea, not caring that it burned her throat on the way down. It felt good.

"I would love to hear you play sometime," Caleb spoke up.

Rebecca looked up and smiled at him. "Come back here tomorrow night and maybe you will." Rebecca told him.

"You're playing at the open mic night tomorrow night?" Caleb asked. Rebecca shrugged playfully and took a small bite of her french toast. "Then put me down for one ticket."

"You don't have to pay, it's free!" Rebecca exclaimed, laughing.

"Well, then, I'll just drop it into your guitar case when you're on stage," Caleb replied, laughing along with her. They laughed a little bit longer and then it was quiet between the two of them. Caleb cleared his throat. "Where are you staying?"

"A place called Heartland Equestrian Connection," Rebecca answered. "I'm actually headed there now. Though I have no idea where it is and no way to get there."

"Really," Caleb beamed. "You're in luck. Because I happen to work at the ranch and I'm on my way there right now. I can take you if I want."

"That would be great," Rebecca said, and they smiled at each other. Caleb ordered a coffee for himself while he waited for Rebecca to finish her breakfast.

X/X/X/X/X/X

The dun gelding lowered his head onto Amy's shoulder from where she stood in the center of the round pen. Duke had joined up easily, he really had no problem trusting people, well female people. Amy walked over to the fence with Duke trailing behind her. She picked up the saddle pad and turned to face the gelding. Duke's attention was on her, he sniffed the pad she was holding out once and put his head to the ground, sniffing. Satisfied, Amy placed the pad on the gelding's back.

Duke's head came back up when Amy picked up the western saddle. He stared at her unmoving and snorted cautiously. Amy held the saddle still so that Duke could get a good look at it. The gelding sniffed it all over and when he was finished, he looked up at Amy with pricked ears. Moving slowly and talking to him the whole time, Amy walked to Duke's side and carefully swung the saddle onto the horse's back.

A minute later, Duke stood all tacked up, awaiting Amy's next task. Amy picked up the reins, put her boot in the stirrup and swung herself up into the saddle. Duke didn't move, he just turned his head to look at her.

"Good boy, Duke," Amy told the gelding, patting him on the neck.

They started walking around the round pen at a nice, steady pace with Duke's head low and even, listening to Amy's every signal. Duke's trot was bouncy and hard to sit to, but Amy was glad to see just how respondent he was. Amy had just asked him to canter when Caleb's truck bounced down the driveway. He parked by the barn, jumped out and hurried over to the round pen.

Amy didn't have time to warn him; Duke was faster. He let out a frantic whinny and broke into a gallop, bucking every other stride. Amy fought to get the gelding's head up, but Duke was stronger and soon Amy was flying over his head and landing on the ground with a thud.

"Amy!" Caleb yelled.

"Caleb, no!" Amy called to him, but it was too late. Caleb was already climbing over the fence and running to her. Duke whinnied again and suddenly charged right toward Caleb. Caleb threw up his hands and shouted. Duke immediately reversed direction getting as far from Caleb as he could.

"Are you alright?" Caleb asked as he helped Amy to stand. Amy nodded, but winced when she touched her right hip. "No, you're not. You're hurt." Caleb started steering her towards the gate, but Amy stopped and twisted out of his grip.

"It's just a bruise, really," Amy told him. "I have to take care of Duke."

"You should at least get some ice on that," Caleb said, gesturing toward her hip. "I'll take care of Duke."

"No!" Amy replied sharply. "That's why he reacted the way he did. He was abused by men. I have to do it." Amy started to walk over to where Duke was now standing, watching them, but then turned back to Caleb. "Why were you in such a hurry anyway?"

Caleb's face broke into a grin and he said, "I met a girl today,"

X/X/X/X/X/X

"So, if you need anything at all, please just let me know and I will be happy to get it for you," Lou said as she finished showing Rebecca the dude ranch. "Is there anything I can get for you right now?"

"No, I'm fine," Rebecca answered gazing at the inside of the cabin. "This is a lovely place."

"Thank you," Lou replied. "Well, I'll let you get settled in." With that, Lou left Rebecca alone in the cabin. Rebecca sat down on the bed with her guitar case in front of her. As if making a decision, she snapped open the case, and lifted the lid, her gaze going straight to the picture on the inside of the case.

The guy in the picture had sandy-blonde hair, a few stray strands falling into his dark brown almost black eyes. He was lounging on a couch with an arm thrown behind his head and his other hand was poised on the remote as he stared at the television. He hadn't known she'd taken the photo until the flash alerted him to it. She had paid dearly for that. He had ended up chasing her around the apartment until he had tackled her onto the bed and started tickling her. Then tickling turned into kissing. A photo of a once happy memory.

Rebecca started to pick up the acoustic guitar when her cell phone started to ring. She dug her phone out of her pocket and stopped when she saw the caller id. She stared at it for a moment longer, then shut it off and tossed it onto the bed. Taking a deep breath, Rebecca ran her hands over her face, willing herself not to cry. She was done crying. That's why she was here, to move on.

Picking up her guitar, Rebecca carried it outside and sat down on the porch step. Rebecca watched the horses in the pasture as her fingers started strumming the strings of the guitar.

"_We were two of a kind,_

_Once so close,_

_Now so far away,_

_Love was everything,_

_Now, you're gone, gone, gone."_

_X/X/X/X/X/X_

"Did the owners tell you anything else about him?" I inquired as he and Amy watched Duke mingle with the other horses in the paddock. Ty had just finished his classes for the day when Amy had called and asked him to come over.

"Nothing," Amy answered. "They just couldn't keep him anymore. But judging by his reactions to grandpa and Caleb, he went through some kind of abuse involving men."

"Well, he seems fine now," Ty mused as Duke playfully nipped at Copper. The two geldings broke away from the other horses and started trotting around, nipping at each other.

"Yeah, I'm surprised," Amy agreed. "He hasn't even reacted to you being here."

Right at that moment, Duke had come to close to Ty and shied away from him. But still it wasn't a violent reaction like his previous ones. Together, Amy and Ty turned away from the fence and started walking toward the ranch house. Ty reached for her hand and Amy entwined her fingers with his.

"So," Amy said, smiling and squeezing Ty's arm with her free one. "Do you have any papers or vet calls to make this weekend?"

"No, unless Scott gets an emergency call and needs my help," Ty answered. He looked at her. "Why?"

"Well, there's this open mic night thing tomorrow night at Maggie's. I was thinking we could go." Amy explained. "It would be fun. Caleb said he was going. What do you think?"

"I think it sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday night with you," Ty replied. "He stopped and wrapped his arms around her. "Were you going to sing me a song?"

"Maybe, if you ask nicely," Amy teased.

"I'm asking," Ty grinned leaning close to her until their lips were only inches apart. "Nicely." And then his lips were on hers and Amy was surrendering herself to the kiss. The world around them seemed to dissipate and it was just the two of them in their own sacred place.

"Ew, seriously," came the young, female voice also known as Mallory. Amy and Ty broke apart and looked at her. "I know you two are in love and everything, but must we all watch it. Just get married already!"

Amy and Ty just laughed as they followed Mallory into the house. "Besides I have major news and I have to tell someone before I explode," the younger girl said as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"What kind of news?" Ty asked her, accepting the water bottle Amy offered him from the fridge.

"There's a new guest at the dude ranch," Mallory blurted out in a rush.

Amy and Ty stared at her.

Mallory continued, "Her name is Rebecca Borden." Ty didn't say anything, he just turned away and stared out the window.

"Ty?" Amy said.

"Did you know she was here?" Mallory asked.

There was a moment of silence and then Ty spoke. "I haven't seen Rebecca since my dad left. We've never tried to contact each other," he explained to Mallory. "She's not here for me. She's here for something else."

**A/N: **I love to hear what everybody has to say about my story, so please hit that little button at the bottom and review.


	4. Open Mic Night

**A/N: **I'm sorry for the long wait, but I had this chapter done for awhile, but I've been trying to write my other stories so I could post them all at the same time. I'm trying to work at a steady pace so that you can enjoy these chapters more regularly. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter Four**

Ty took a deep breath and stepped out of his truck. He glanced around at the cabins of the dude ranch, decidedly he walked up to one of the them. Stepping over an acoustic guitar that was lying on the porch, Ty knocked on the cabin door. After about a minute, Ty knocked again. Still no answer. Ty looked around the dude ranch, searching for any sign of Rebecca.

There was a figure sitting on the fence of the pasture. She stared out at the grazing horses as the sun set behind them. Her head bowed slightly as if she was looking at something. Ty stepped off the porch and started walking across the ranch. Rebecca didn't seem to hear his footsteps until he was only a few feet away. She half-turned, saw somebody standing there and jumped down off the fence, taking her earbuds out of her ears as she did.

Her chocolate brown hair, exactly like his, was pulled back into a ponytail, her piercing blue eyes slid over him, curiosity crossing her features. Wondering why this handsome young man was standing in front of her. Then her eyes widened in recognition, a smile splitting her face.

"Ty," Rebecca said shoving her ipod in her back pocket.

"Hey, Becky," Ty replied, calling her by her childhood nickname. After a moment's hesitation, they folded each other in the other's arms. They pulled apart a minute later.

"I can't believe this is real," Rebecca admitted. "I haven't seen you since...you know."

"Yeah,...so what are you doing here?" Ty asked steering the conversation back to the girl in front of him.

"Well, I was living in Calgary for awhile, but then I had to get away...you know, from city life." Rebecca answered, she turned and started walking back to her cabin. "So, I came here, with no idea that you would be here."

Ty laughed. "Yeah, Heartland came into my life when I was in a pretty bad place." he told her. "This place changed my life and I can't imagine ever leaving it."

"You found a girl, you're in love, aren't you?" Rebecca asked him, smiling.

Ty nodded and said, "How did you know?"

"Ty, come on, it was all over your face when you were talking," Rebecca replied. "Being in love is like flying through the clouds, exhilarating and breathless, but if you're not careful you'll crash to the ground with a hollow feeling inside you, unable to fill it again."

"Whoa, that was heavy," Ty remarked. "Since when did you become a pessimist?"

"Just some things I've experienced," was all Rebecca said. Ty stopped and caught her wrist. When Rebecca turned to face him, her blue eyes had darkened and Ty could see the pain she was trying to hide from him.

"If there's something you want to talk about, you can tell me," Ty told her. "You don't have to go through whatever you're going through alone."

They had reached her cabin now. Rebecca gave him a small smile and picked up her guitar from the porch. She walked up the rest of the steps before turning to face him again. "I'm really glad you came by."

"Me too," Ty said, though he was confused at the sudden change in Rebecca. One minute she's laughing and the next she's fighting back tears. There was an awkward silence as they both stood there waiting for the other one to say something. Finally, Ty said goodbye and turned to leave.

"Ty, wait!" Rebecca called to him. Ty turned back around. It looked like she was going to say something else, but instead all she said was, "See you tomorrow." Ty hesitated, nodded and then continued walking to his truck.

XXX

Rebecca waited until Ty had driven out of the dude ranch before going inside. She leaned back against the door, putting her head in her hands. She should of told Ty, he deserved to know. But seeing the life he'd built for himself here, she couldn't bring herself to do it. He had obviously made peace with his past, would it do any good to tell him that his father had cheated on his mother? That she wasn't his cousin, but his sister. Rebecca didn't want to make things worse for Ty, but she couldn't keep this secret on top of everything else that was going on.

It was then that she decided; she would tell Ty the truth. Tomorrow, as soon as she could.

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><p>Amy ran a brush through her all ready smooth and silky blonde hair one last time and looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a midnight-blue dress that ended just over her knee. The bodice fit snug, but not too tight, cinched at her waist was a satin belt and the skirt fell in rivulets. Lou had actually bought the dress, but had given it to Amy instead. Until now, it had stayed at the back of her closet.<p>

Satisfied that she looked okay, Amy turned away from the mirror and grabbed her jacket. Her silver heels clicked on the hardwood floor as Amy walked down the hall toward the living room. Jack was sitting in the armchair reading the newspaper when she came in.

"Hey, grandpa," Amy greeted. Jack looked up from his paper and his face widened into a smile when he saw his granddaughter all dressed up. He put the paper down and came over to her.

"You look beautiful, honey," Jack told Amy wrapping her up in a hug, which Amy returned. "Just like your mother." After a moment, Amy pulled back and saw her grandfather's eyes were misted over with unshed tears. Amy was about to say something when the front door creaked open and a few seconds later Ty was in the doorway to the living room. He was wearing dark jeans and a button-down shirt.

"Hey, Ty said, his gaze sweeping over Amy, taking her all in. "Are you ready?"

Amy nodded. "Yeah, bye grandpa."

Amy and Ty headed out of the house and Ty helped Amy into his truck. Amy waited until Ty had gotten in and started the truck before she asked the question that's been on her mind all day. "Did you talk to your cousin yet?"

"Uh, yeah...I did, last night," Ty answered absentmindedly as he backed up the truck and started down the driveway.

"Well? How was it?" Amy asked when Ty didn't say anything else.

"Um, it was good," Ty began, unsure of what to say. "We were both happy to see each other. We talked and it felt like we were kids again. Then..."

"What?" Amy pressed gently.

"I don't know," Ty admitted. "We were talking and then she got distant, it felt like she was holding something back. I tried to get her to talk to me, but she couldn't get away from me fast enough." Amy reached over and took Ty's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Ty looked at her briefly and gave her a smile.

XXX

Golden, twinkling lights hung from the ceiling of Maggie's Diner making it look like some magical place straight from a storybook. There was a make-shift stage next to the counter with two microphones and a couple of speakers on it. There was a banner hanging over the stage that read:

**Maggie's Diner Open Mic Night!**

"This place looks great!" Amy said, as she walked up to the counter where Soraya was standing. The other girl was wearing a simple soft pink dress.

"Thanks, we wanted to go all out for this," Soraya replied, gesturing toward all the decorations. "If it goes well tonight, we'll have one once a week."

"Well, by the looks of it, it'll be a hit," Amy mused looking around at the people already sitting at tables and more was still coming in. One girl, in particular, was sitting in the far corner of the diner, strumming a guitar or at least that's what it looked like she was doing. Her dark brown hair fell in her face as she played.

"Yeah, we should get a table before they are all taken," Ty told Amy. Amy told Soraya she'll talk to her later and followed him to an empty table. Amy had just sat down in the chair Ty had pulled out for her when someone called out to Ty. It was the girl Amy had seen earlier playing the guitar. She had set it down on a table and was now walking over to them. Now that her hair wasn't in her face, Amy could see her eyes were bright blue, and she was wearing black skinny jeans with a white off-the-shoulder shirt. Amy suddenly felt overdressed.

"Hey, Becky!" Ty smiled at the other girl, but Amy could see the hint of uncertainty that had filled Ty. They embraced. "You didn't tell me you were going to be here tonight."

"Yeah, I must have forgot to mention I was playing here, with all the catching up we did." Rebecca said.

Ty turned to Amy. "Amy, this is my cousin, Rebecca," Ty introduced them. "Becky, this is my girlfriend, Amy."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Amy said to her.

"You too. Ty couldn't stop talking about you last night," Rebecca replied. "I love your dress."

"Thank you," Amy blushed at the thought of Ty talking about her to somebody else. She spared a glance at Ty, who had sat down opposite her. Rebecca pulled up a chair and sat down too. "So, Rebecca, Ty hasn't really told me anything about you. What are you doing here?"

Rebecca shrugged, shifting in her chair. "Living in the city wasn't enough for me anymore, I had to get away. Who would have guessed I'd end up at Ty's girlfriend's ranch."

They all talked for a few more minutes until Rebecca went back to her guitar. Amy turned to Ty. "She seems nice," she said. Ty nodded, watching his cousin pick up her guitar and start playing again.

XXX

A half hour later, Amy and Ty had just finished their dinner when the young girl about the age of thirteen hopped off the stage after singing a popular pop song. There was a few minutes of silence as the next person adjusted the mic and slid the stool over.

The first chords of a guitar was the first thing they heard and soon after a soft, melodious voice. Amy looked toward the stage and saw Rebecca sitting on the wooden stool, her fingers floating across the strings of her guitar. Her voice echoed hauntingly through the suddenly quiet diner. All eyes were on Rebecca as she sang.

_I remember tears streaming down your face_

_When I said I'll never let you go_

_When all those shadows almost killed your light_

_I remember you said, don't leave me alone_

_But all that's dead and gone and past, tonight_

_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down_

_You'll be alright_

_No one can't hurt you now_

_Come morning light,_

_You and I will be safe and sound_

Rebecca looked as if she had been transported a million miles away. She was no longer here in Maggie's Diner, but lost in, perhaps, of a once forgotten memory. Amy looked at Ty; he saw it too. Rebecca continued to sing, stuck halfway between the past and the present.

_Don't you dare look out your window,_

_Darling everything is on fire_

_The war outside our door keeps raging on_

_Hold on to this lullaby_

_Even when music's gone, gone_

_Just close your eyes_

_The sun is going down_

_You'll be alright_

_No one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light,_

_You and I will be safe and sound_

When Rebecca finished the song, everybody in the diner burst into applause. Everybody was moved by her performance. But she wasn't hearing them; instead she was staring at an empty chair in front of the stage, a big smile on her face as if someone was actually sitting there. Then, it was as if she broke out of a trance and came back to the present. Rebecca smiled politely to the crowd and slipped off the stage and hurried back to her seat, avoiding eye contact with Amy and Ty.

XXX

Amy and Ty decided to stay for a few more songs and dessert, one slice of apple pie topped with whipped cream. Everybody was having fun with the open mic night, no one seemed to care if they were good or bad singers; there were more bad singers than good ones. Rebecca didn't sing again.

"Are you ready to go home?" Ty asked Amy when they finished the piece of pie. Amy nodded, taking a sip of her water. Ty put some money on the table and they both stood up to leave. Ty's arm slid around Amy's shoulder. "Are you sure you don't want to sing?"

Amy smiled and shook her head, "Maybe some other time," she said. "I think Rebecca stole the show tonight." They pushed open the door to go outside.

"Ty, wait!"

They both turned around to see Rebecca hurrying up to them. She stopped in front of Ty and pulled him away from Amy. Amy couldn't help but follow. "There's something I have to tell you," Rebecca said. "I've been thinking of this all night and you deserve to know."

"Deserve to know what?" Ty asked her.

"About your father," Rebecca answered. She kept looking around the diner as if to make sure no one else could hear what she was about to hear. She looked right past Amy.

"What about my father? Becky, what are you talking about?" Ty asked again. He was trying to keep his voice calm, but she wasn't making any sense.

"He had an affair. With my mother," Rebecca told him. Amy's eyes widened and Ty went completely still. "I'm sorry, Ty, but he cheated on you mother and I was the result. I'm your half-sister."

**A/N: *** Gasps * How will Ty react? Sorry to leave you guys with that HUGE cliffhanger, but I couldn't help myself. The next chapter will be posted soon after I update the rest of my fanfics. Watch for my other fics, Speak Now and When Evil Strikes Back, to be updated in the next few days. Please review, it makes me very happy!


	5. Raised Emotions

**A/N:** I meant to post this chapter last week, but it took longer than I thought. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and supported this story, I really love hearing what you all have to say. Anyway, here it is and I think you'll like it. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

The air inside the diner became still and tense. Ty stood where he was, his body rigid and his hand tightened on Amy's. The startling confession kept ringing in Amy's head; she was surprised, but then again not really. Rebecca stood opposite them, waiting for some kind of a response. Her blue eyes were wide and Amy could see just how much this secret had weighed on the other girl. Ty released a shuttering breath.

"What did you just say?" he asked, his voice low. But Amy could tell that he was getting worked up. Before anyone could say anything else, Amy intervened.

"Ty, we shouldn't do this here," she told him. Ty looked down at her and relaxed his hand in hers.

"You're right," Ty said, and then to Rebecca. "Let's go outside." Rebecca nodded and hesitantly followed Ty out the door.

The night had grown cold and the wind blew through the street, tossing leaves and trash into the air. Amy pulled her coat closer around herself and then felt guilty when she saw Rebecca with no coat. But the other girl didn't seem to notice the cold though, she was too busy watching Ty pace the sidewalk in front of the diner.

"I'm sorry, Ty. I don't mean to ruin your night," Rebecca said. "It's just...I couldn't...I never planned on you knowing the truth, but-"

"So then, why did you tell me the truth?" Ty turned on Rebecca, his eyes flashing. "Why tell me now? What do you want, Rebecca? Money?"

"What?" Rebecca asked, aghast. Amy was shocked too at the way Ty was acting. She stared at him, but he avoided her gaze.

"Why are you here, Rebecca?" Ty asked again. "I haven't seen or heard from you in years and now you just show up out of the blue and claim that you are my sister. Don't you think that's a little suspicious?"

"I don't want your money," Rebecca told him, anger starting to leak into her voice. "That's not why I came. Heck, I didn't even know where you living until now." Ty ran a hand through his hair and turned away from her. But Rebecca wasn't going to let him leave that easy so she grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Ty, please, you know me," Rebecca said, her voice softening now. "I would never ever con you."

Ty turned to face her, all the anger gone from his expression. "Do you have any idea how long it's taken me to get over my past?"

"I know it couldn't have been easy, but Ty-"

"No, it wasn't easy at all, dealing with my father leaving and then, Wade..." Ty replied. "And now you're telling me that my father cheated on my mother? I don't know what to think."

Rebecca sighed and leaned her back against the brick wall of the diner. "Your family wasn't the only thing Brad destroyed. He destroyed my family too." Rebecca paused to take a breath. "A few months after Brad left your mom, my mom got really sick. She didn't want to live the rest of life with a secret, so she told my dad and I that she'd had an affair with Brad." Rebecca covered her face with her hands to stop the tears from coming. The next time she spoke, her voice was broken. "She told me Brad was my real father."

"Becky, I'm sorry," Ty started to go to her. Rebecca looked at him, tears sliding down her face.

"She died two days later," Rebecca cried. "I was so mad at her, I didn't even go to the hospital to say goodbye." Ty wrapped his arms around her in a hug and Rebecca let him, crying into his shoulder.

After a moment, Rebecca pulled away and wiped the tears off her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to unload on you like that." she said.

"It's fine," Ty replied. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. It wasn't your fault."

"Rebecca, do you need a ride back to the ranch?" Amy spoke up. "Ty and I can drop you off at the dude ranch if you want."

Rebecca nodded. "Yeah, thanks, that would be great." She looked around absentmindedly. "I just have to go get my stuff from inside." With a quick look at Ty, Rebecca went back inside the diner. When she was gone, Amy looked at Ty, who had sat down at the edge of the curb. She walked over and sat down next to him.

"I shouldn't be surprised, right?" Ty said, his head in his hands. "My dad had done a lot of stuff. I should of know infidelity was one of them."

"Ty, it's okay to be mad at your dad," Amy replied, putting a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "He's done so many bad things to you, to your mother. It's-"

"But I'm not mad. That's just it, I'm not mad at my dad," Ty interrupted her. "I've accepted who my dad was and what he did. I've moved past it, I have. It's just Rebecca...she knew. She's known this whole time and she's never even attempted to contact me and tell me."

"Ty, her mom had just died. I'm sure that's the last thing she was thinking of." Amy reasoned.

"She still could have tried, Amy," Ty sighed, standing up and walking back onto the sidewalk. He turned around to face Amy, who was still sitting down. "I deserved to know the truth."

"Yes, you did," Amy agreed. She stood up and started to say something else when the door to the diner opened. Rebecca came out wearing a black leather jacket and carrying her guitar case. She looked as if she knew they had been talking about her.

"All set?" Ty asked her, coming forward and reaching out for the guitar case. Rebecca nodded and handed the case over to Ty. Ty put the case in the bed of the truck and they all squeezed into the cab of the truck the best they could. No one said a word as Ty started the truck and backed out onto the street.

XXXXX

The ride back to the ranch was a quiet one. Nobody knew what to say, if they did they didn't know how to say it. After Ty dropped Rebecca off at the dude ranch, he pulled into Heartland. He parked the truck in front of the ranch house and killed the engine. Neither one of them moved, but neither one of them said anything either. Amy looked over at Ty, but his expression was hidden by the darkness inside the truck.

"I don't want to go back to the trailer tonight," Ty whispered into the silence. Amy didn't say anything, instead she took Ty's hand. They shared a look, coming to a silent agreement. Together, they climbed out of the truck and walked to the house hand in hand.

The house was dark and silent when Amy and Ty entered. The only sound was of Lobo's toenails on the hardwood floor as he came up to greet them. They each ruffled the dog's coat. Amy hesitated and then led Ty quietly down the hall to her bedroom. She opened the door and walked into the room. Ty hesitated in the doorway.

"You can come in," Amy smiled at him, as she looked through the drawers of her dresser. "I'm just going to get changed." As she moved past Ty to go to the bathroom, Ty grabbed her wrist. Before she could react, Ty's mouth was on hers. Amy responded automatically, wrapping her arms around Ty's neck as he pulled her closer to him. His lips moved over hers soft and sensual, Amy felt the tingling start in her toes and move slowly up her body, her cheeks warming. When Ty pulled away, Amy was left flushed and breathless.

"What was that for?" Amy asked, grinning.

"Do I need a reason to kiss my girlfriend?" Ty countered back playfully, grinning back at her. He leaned in for another kiss, but Amy pulled out of his embrace before he could.

"I'm going to change into something more comfortable," she told Ty. She laughed when Ty pouted and ran out of the room when he tried to grab her again.

Amy walked into the bathroom with a smile on her face. She looked at herself in the mirror; her face was flushed from the kiss and she pulled her hair into a ponytail. Then, she hurriedly slipped out of her dress and into a pair of pajama pants and a cami.

When Amy came back to her room, Ty was lying on her bed, his shoes and jacket were off, and his shirt was untucked. She almost thought he was asleep until he turned toward her and patted the space next to him. Amy closed the door behind her and walked over. She crawled onto the bed and curled herself into Ty's arms. They were both quiet for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Are you okay?" Amy asked. She couldn't hold back any longer, she wanted to know how Ty was feeling about what happened tonight.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ty answered, a bit distracted.

"Ty," Amy said, looking up at him. When he didn't look at her, Amy reached up with her hand and tilted his chin down, so that he did look at her.

"Okay,...I feel like I left things unfinished with Rebecca," Ty admitted, absently drawing circles with his finger across her back and shoulder. "I want to talk to her again."

"And you should," Amy told him. "She really seemed like she was in a bad place. Talking will do you both some good."

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" Ty said, scooting down on the bed so that he was eye to eye with her.

"Oh, only a few hundred times," Amy smiled. Ty smiled back and leaned in to kiss her. Amy met him halfway and immediately got swept away in the kiss. All her senses came alive and she opened herself up to Ty. His hands traveled lightly over her body before resting on either side of her face. Amy's own hands were shaking as she unbuttoned Ty's shirt. On the last button, Ty pulled back and looked at her.

"Are you sure?" Ty asked her, his voice low and breathless.

Amy nodded, biting her lip. She wanted this. She loved Ty and she was ready to be with him. To prove it, Amy pulled his shirt all the way off his shoulders. Their mouths met again, this time the kiss was heated and passionate. Ty slid Amy's cami up only breaking the kiss long enough to pull it over her head. His fingers left trails of heat wherever he touched her. Ty moved on top of Amy, looking down at her, kissing her lips, neck, chest, and lips again. He pulled away one more time.

"You know, I'll never hurt you, right?" Ty asked. He brushed some pieces of hair that had come loose from her ponytail out of her face.

"I trust you," Amy said, her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers tangled up in his hair. Their love took over now; taking them to a place they've never been before together. Consuming them until there was nobody left in the world but them. It was love driving them and it would be love keeping them together.

XXXXX

Rebecca was curled up in bed, clutching a pillow to her chest, letting her tears stream down her face. This night had been a roller-coaster of emotions for her and she was crashing right now. She had opened up two old wounds tonight, wounds she had closed a long time ago. The pain was leaking out of her and she was drowning in it. A sob caught in her throat and she buried her face in the pillow.

Her mind went to the show tonight, when she was singing. One minute she was singing to the crowd of Hudson, next the room was empty except for a seat in the front. Adam sat watching her, his sandy-blonde hair fell into his dark eyes, but they never left her. It was just as it always had been. When everything was simple and she knew where she belonged. Afterwards, Rebecca had been left to pick up the pieces of her heart all over again.

The night had only gotten worse when she told Ty the truth about his—their father. She didn't know it how it had gotten out of hand so quickly. What hurt the most was when Ty had accused her of scamming him. Like she would ever; she'd always been a bad liar, Ty knew that. He was just hurt and confused; he hadn't known what he was saying. Tomorrow, they'll talk and everything would be fine.

Her phone chirped from the table by the bed. Rebecca pushed the pillow aside and wiped the tears from her face. She picked up her phone and saw that she had one new text message. The number was blocked, but that didn't matter once she read the text. She knew exactly who it was. Her breath caught in her throat and she covered her mouth with her hand.

_I miss you._

_-Adam_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I know that it wasn't that long. I'll try and make the next chapter longer. So, please review and let me know your thoughts.


	6. Phone calls, Texts, and Secrets

**A/N: **Wow, this chapter took a long time to write, but it's finished! Yay! I have made two tiny little corrections; instead of Lou being married to Scott and their daughter's name is Holly, I'm following the show in this respect. It is now Peter and Katie. One more thing, I'm going to be making a trailer for this story, I hope to be able to post it with the next chapter. So, look for that also. The song is _When Your Gone_ by _Avril Lavigne_. Now, on with the chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

Morning sunlight streamed in through the window, shining down on the two sleeping figures in the bed. Amy's eyes fluttered open and she took in the scene before her. Ty lay next to her, asleep, his mouth was slightly open, his left hand was tucked up under the pillow, and his right hand rested lightly on her hip. Amy smiled, watching Ty sleeping, completely at ease and peaceful. Then his eyes opened and he was looking at her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Amy smiled. They leaned in for a kiss. It started out soft and slow, but quickly became heated. Ty rolled on top of her, his hands on either side of her head. Her hands were on his bare chest, moving her hands up and down. All to soon, Ty pulled away.

"What time is it?" he asked, his eyes closed.

Amy glanced over at the digital clock on her nightstand. "Six-thirty," she answered. Then it dawned on her. "It's six-thirty in the morning! You can't be here!" Amy exclaimed, bolting upright and shoving Ty off her, causing him to fall off the bed and onto the floor.

"What?" came Ty's voice came from the floor.

"Do you want grandpa to find you in here?" Amy asked him while pulling on some clothes.

"Shit," Ty said, scrambling up off the floor. He grabbed for his pants and shirt, hurriedly pulling them on.

"Hopefully, everybody is still sleeping and we can get out before anyone notices," Amy said. She walked to the door and opened it a crack to peek out.

"Amy, wait," Ty replied, pulling her away from the door. "About last night...?"

"It was the best night of my life," Amy smiled. "Now, we really do have to get you out of here." She went back to the door and peeked out into the hallway.

"Okay, good," Ty nodded and joined Amy at the door.

The hallway was quiet and empty when they opened the door all the way. Amy walked out first and then she motioned to Ty to follow. It seemed like they were going to make it outside until there was a small clatter from the kitchen. They froze, staring at each other. Amy put a finger to her lips and motioned for Ty to stay there. Then, Amy walked into the kitchen hoping she appeared calm and relaxed because she certainly didn't feel that way. Jack was standing at the kitchen counter, fixing himself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, grandpa," Amy greeted.

Jack turned to look at her. "Well, good morning to you," Jack said. He picked up his mug, walked to the table and sat down. Amy stood in front of the table, drumming her fingers on the back of a chair. She cast an anxious glance toward the doorway of the living room toward where Ty was hiding. "Do you want some breakfast?"

Startled, Amy looked back at Jack. He was looking at her from over the rim of his mug. "Uh, no thanks. I'm not hungry." Amy said.

Meanwhile, Ty was still standing where Amy left him, wondering if maybe he should just go out the back door. But if he walked past the kitchen entryway, there was a chance Jack could see him. Just then, Ty heard a bedroom door open and soft footsteps padding through the hall. Ty froze, he didn't know what to do. The footsteps were coming closer. This was it. He was going to get caught sneaking out of Amy's room in the morning. Jack will cut off his privates and he would be banished from Heartland without seeing Amy again. Ty gulped.

Lou emerged from the hall, carrying a cooing Katie. She didn't see him until she was almost on top of him. "Oh, good morning, Ty. You're here early," Lou said, glancing up briefly at him. The baby, on the other-hand, wouldn't stop staring at him, almost like she knew what he'd done. Ty shook his head, that was impossible.

In the kitchen, Amy flinched when she heard Lou's voice. Her sister came into the kitchen, placed Katie in her highchair and went to the counter. A moment later, Ty came in. He looked at Amy with a helpless expression, almost as if he expected the worse to happen.

"Morning Ty, what brings you here so early?" Jack asked Ty, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Um, I- uh- couldn't find some of my notes for class and I- uh- thought maybe I left them over here." Ty rambled out an answer, hoping he made sense.

Amy nodded in agreement.

"What class are you studying for?" Lou asked coming over to the table with a cup of coffee and a jar of baby food for Katie. She sat down. Amy thought she saw a hint of a smile playing on her sister's face.

"Uh... advanced Microbiology," Ty stammered.

"Oh, well, I haven't seen any notes," Lou said. She looked to Jack. "Have you grandpa?" Amy gave her a warning glare, telling her to stop. Lou didn't look at her.

"No, can't say that I have," Jack replied, picking up the morning newspaper.

Ignoring Lou's smirk, Amy turned to Ty. "You should get going, you don't want to be late for class." Amy told him. Ty looked at her in confusion for a moment before he understood what she was trying to say.

"You're right," Ty agreed. "Don't worry about the notes, they're probably in my truck somewhere." Ty turned to leave.

"School on a Saturday?" Jack couldn't help but ask.

Ty froze and gave Amy another helpless look. She jumped to his rescue, saying the first thing that came to her mind. "It's an extra credit class Ty is taking. So that he doesn't have to take as many next year."

Ty nodded, "Yeah, um... see you guys." With that, he bolted out the front door. Jack stared after him mystified, and Lou tried to hide a laugh behind her hand. Amy kicked her hard under the table on her way to the door, but she couldn't hide the smile that spread across her face as she headed outside.

** /X/**

Rebecca awoke with her face in the pillow and the bedsheets twisted around her legs. She had a fitful night; tossing and turning to escape the dreams that consumed her. The dream had started off as a replay of last night's events and then it took a drastic turn, starting with the text. Adam's text. She had been thrust headfirst into her past. She saw Adam's sweet smile as he gave her a gold locket for her birthday. The way his eyes brightened when he laughed after she'd locked herself out of the apartment again. Or the way he'd peck her lips softly with his after they'd finished singing together at a local pub. All the memories swam and blurred together until she was only left with Adam's shining face staring back at her.

_I always needed time on my own,_

_I never thought I'd need you there when I cry,_

_The days feel like years when I'm alone,_

_And the bed where you lie,_

_Is made up on your side_

Shaking the last remnants of the dream, Rebecca picked up her phone to check the time. It was almost nine. She struggled free of the sheets and got up. Deciding to spend the day at Heartland, Rebecca pulled some clothes out of her duffel bag, black jeggings and a gray and black striped shirt. She pulled the old t-shirt of Adam's she'd slept in over her head and started to dress. Rebecca had just sat down on the bed to pull on her lace-up boots when she saw something gold and glittering on the sheet. She knew exactly what it was even before she picked it up. It was the locket Adam gave her.

_When you walk away,_

_I count the steps that you take_

_Do you see how much I need you right now?_

Even though she really didn't want to, Rebecca found herself opening the heart-shaped pendent anyway. On the inside was a picture of Adam and herself. They both were big smiles as Adam took the picture with his camera. Opposite the image were the engraved words: _Forever Always_. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Rebecca snapped the locket closed and went to her open guitar case on the table. She dropped the necklace into a small pouch inside the case, not wanting to look at it anymore, but not willing to part with it either.

When Rebecca stepped outside the cabin, a truck was just pulling into the dude ranch. She easily recognized the driver as Lou Fleming. Rebecca waited on the porch as Lou parked the truck and got out.

"Hey," Lou greeted, walking up to Rebecca. "I came by to see if you needed or wanted anything? Breakfast? Coffee?"

"No, I'm good," Rebecca smiled as she came down the steps. "I was actually thinking of hanging around Heartland today. Maybe talk to Ty."

"Ty? What do you want to talk to Ty for?" Lou asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

"He didn't tell you?"

Lou shook her head. "I only saw him for about two minutes this morning."

Rebecca nodded, Ty would probably tell everybody when he was ready. She did only ambush him with the info last night. He needed time to process everything. Lou looked like she was going to question her further, but decided against it. Instead, Lou asked, "Would you like a ride to the ranch?"

"Yeah, that will be great," Rebecca answered. She picked up her leather jacket from the porch railing and walked to the truck. But before she reached the truck, however, her cell phone started buzzing. Rebecca dug into her coat pocket and retrieved the phone. She had one new text. She opened it, thinking it might be from Ty. They'd exchanged numbers the first time they talked. But it wasn't from Ty, it was from Adam. Again.

I still love you, Becky.

Plz come home.

_When you're gone,_

_The pieces of my heart are missing you_

_When you're gone,_

_The face I came to know is missing too_

_When you're gone,_

_All the words I need to hear_

_To always get me through the day_

_And make it okay_

_I miss you_

Home. There was a time when home with Adam meant everything to her. The way Adam could turn a simple grilled-cheese sandwich into a romantic dinner for two. Or the way Adam would pretend to fight with her over what they should watch on television when they both knew he would let her choose what they would watch in the end. All those little things made Rebecca miss him even more and make her want to run back to him, but everything has changed. And she didn't know how she was supposed to feel.

_I've never felt this way before,_

_Everything that I do, reminds me of you_

"Is everything okay?" Lou asked her, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Uh, yeah, fine," Rebecca answered distractedly. She clicked off her phone and shoved it back into her pocket. She gave Lou a reassuring smile. "Just a weird-ass data alert thing." Then, to emphasize her point, Rebecca climbed inside the truck. A second later, Lou was in the truck and starting it up. In that moment, Rebecca resigned herself to forgetting all about the text and Adam.

** /X/**

A cool, autumn wind was blowing through the ranch yard when they arrived at Heartland. Rebecca jumped out of the truck and looked around in awe. The farmhouse sat in front of them, looking as if it had just been pulled out of a storybook. The smell of hay and horses were strong even from this distance away. A horse whinnied from the pasture.

"This place is amazing," Rebecca complimented. "It must be wonderful to live here."

"It is," Lou agreed. "So, if you need anything I'll be in the house or my office," she pointed to the barn. "Or you can ask Amy or my grandfather, Jack. You'll probably see them more than you'll see me." she added, laughing.

"Thanks, but I think I'll have a look around if that's okay?" Rebecca asked, glancing around the yard.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead," Lou told her. "Amy's probably working with one of the horses."

"Okay," Rebecca replied. She watched Lou go into the house and then she turned toward the barn. She caught the sight of movement from inside the round pen and decided to go check it out. Stuffing her hands inside her pockets, Rebecca started walking. As she walked, she felt her phone vibrate with another text message. Rebecca withdrew her hand quickly and kept walking.

Amy was in the round pen with a horse. The dun gelding was running along on the rail, while Amy stood in the center of the ring. Rebecca peered through the fence rails to watch fascinated. She watched as the gelding slowed to a trot, lowered his head and started to make chewing movements with his mouth. Amy turned away and the horse came to a halt. The gelding didn't hesitate, he walked right to Amy and placed his muzzle on her shoulder. Amy turned and rubbed in between his eyes. Then Amy walked away from the horse, leaving the gelding staring after her. Rebecca was confused, until the gelding started following Amy. No matter where Amy went, the gelding was always right at her shoulder. Rebecca couldn't help herself, she started clapping.

Startled, Amy turned and saw Rebecca standing by the fence. She clipped a lead line onto the gelding's halter and walked over. "I didn't realize anybody was watching." Amy admitted.

"I didn't want to interrupt," Rebecca said. "I've just never seen anything like that before. You were amazing with that horse."

"Thank you, but it was all Duke," Amy replied. "He is such a well-mannered horse, he'll do anything, well, for us girls." Amy opened the gate and led Duke out.

"You mean, he doesn't like men?" Rebecca asked, falling into step beside Amy.

"Well, he doesn't trust men," Amy elaborated. "He was abused by men, all his bad experiences have been with men. Now, whenever he sees any guy, he associates them with pain. So, he lashes out at them before they can hurt him."

"How are you going to fix him?" Rebecca asked again.

"Well, he has to trust me and be able to look to me as his leader when he's afraid. That's what I was doing in the ring, it's called join-up," Amy explained. "Then I'm hoping Ty could help me, so he can get used to a male presence." She stopped inside the barn and tied Duke to a stall.

"Well, I hope everything works out for this guy," Rebecca said patting Duke's neck.

"I was just going to brush him before I put him in the paddock, do you want to help me?" Amy asked her.

"Yeah, sure," Rebecca answered taking the brush Amy offered her. She shrugged her coat off, since it was getting to be warm and draped it over a stall. Rebecca started running the brush over Duke's silky coat and Amy did the same.

About ten minutes later, Duke was dust and dirt free and both Amy and Rebecca were laughing together like best friends. They mostly talked about horses like Rebecca's time at a riding camp when she was nine years old. Including the first time she mounted a horse, she forgot to check the girth so as soon as she put her weight in the stirrup, the whole saddle slipped sideways and she landed on her butt on the ground.

"Every rider has made that mistake at least once," Amy reassured her, putting Duke's back left hoof down on the ground after cleaning it.

"Yeah, that's what my instructor told me," Rebecca replied. "But my bruised pride wouldn't let me look at the other girls until lunch."

Amy smiled. "Don't worry, I've had my share of falls too." she told Rebecca.

"Well, that makes me feel a little better," Rebecca laughed, brushing dust and hair from her pants. She handed Amy the brush to put away and took a deep breath to get rid of the laughter. "So, where's Ty?"

Amy hesitated and then said, "He's working with Scott, our vet."

Rebecca nodded and then there was a moment of silence. "Duke has been really patient with all our gossiping and giggling like tweens. I think he deserves a treat, do you have any?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah, there's some carrots in the feed room," Amy told her, pointing Rebecca toward the feed room, while she put the brushes away in a grooming box.

When Amy came back to Duke, the gelding was in the process of throwing Rebecca's jacket off the stall door. "No, no, no, Duke!" Amy hurried forward to take the coat from him, but it was too late. The jacket was already on the concrete floor along with Rebecca's cell phone, which had fallen out of the pocket. Amy bent over to retrieve the fallen jacket and phone, when she did the phone blinked to life. There was a text message on the screen.

Plz Becky, come home.

We can talk about this.

I love you,

Adam

A scuffing sound on the concrete made Amy jump and look up. Rebecca was standing there, carrot in her hands, looking at Amy, the phone and back again. "What's going on?" Rebecca asked walking over and feeding the carrot to Duke.

"It's not what it looks like," Amy tried to explain. "Duke knocked your jacket off the stall and your phone fell out. I was just going to pick it up and then I noticed you had a new text from some guy named Adam. I didn't mean to, it just happened."

"Oh, no biggie," Rebecca said, surprising Amy a little. She took the jacket and phone from Amy, slipping the jacket on. "It's not like I caught you reading my private diary. Accidents happen."

Amy breathed a sigh of relief. "For a minute, I thought you were going to yell at me." she confessed.

Rebecca laughed, "If I did, I would have to yell at myself for all the times I mistakenly took my friend's phone as my own. I didn't realize it wasn't mine until I read the texts she'd sent and realized I didn't write them." She put her phone back into her coat pocket.

Amy untied Duke and then turned to face Rebecca again. "Who's Adam?" she asked. When Rebecca didn't say anything, Amy clarified, "The guy who texted you?"

"Oh, him," Rebecca answered, racking her brain for something to say. "He's just an ex- nobody important." Her voice caught on the word important and she hoped Amy didn't notice.

"Okay, I'm going to put Duke outside," Amy said. "I'll be right back."

"Okay,"

Amy led Duke out of the barn and Rebecca watched her leave. She didn't realize she was clutching her phone until it rang in her hand. Startled, Rebecca jerked her hand out of her pocket, her phone still wrapped in her fist. She looked at the number and sighed. It couldn't be, but it was. Everything inside Rebecca screamed at her not to answer it, but her fingers had a mind of their own. She pressed answer and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello? Becky?" came the familiar voice. The voice that made her heart swell and tears form in her eyes. He sounded just like he always did, except worried...for her. "Rebecca, I know you're there. Please...just talk to me."

_We were made for each other, out here forever_

_I know we were_

"What do you want?" Rebecca asked him, trying to keep her voice calm and steady.

Rebecca heard him sigh into the phone. "I was worried, I came home and you weren't there," Adam said. "I didn't know where you were."

"Huh, imagine that," Rebecca replied bitterly.

"Well, are you coming home?" Adam asked. It sounded like he took a drink of something. "I want to see you."

"I can't,"

"Why? Are you stuck somewhere?" Adam asked again, sounding more alert. "Tell me where you are and I'll come get you."

"No, Adam," Rebecca told him firmly. She turned and walked toward the back of the barn, out the other door. "I'm staying where I am. Don't try and find me."

"Becky, I don't understand," Adam responded. He took another drink. "Why are you doing this?"

"How much have you had to drink today, Adam?" Rebecca asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

"Only one bottle, I swear," Adam answered. She heard the desperation in his voice. "Becky, please just come home! I made a mistake, please come home and let's talk about this!"

_And all I ever wanted was for you to know,_

_Everything I do I give my heart and soul_

"Adam, a mistake is forgetting to bring more milk home," Rebecca told him. She was aware of her voice rising and more tears were threatening to spill down her face. "You walked out on me. For three weeks, I didn't know where you were or even if you were okay! Finally, I just gave up. I left. I moved on. I don't care what you do with your life, Adam, just leave me out of it." Rebecca blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, but it didn't work. Some of the horses in the field had come up to the fence, wondering what all the noise was.

"I'm sorry," came Adam's voice, it was low and sad. Rebecca almost regretted what she said, but it had to be done, if not for Adam than for herself.

"So am I," Rebecca said and ended the call. She drew in a shaky breath and ran her hand through her hair. It was done. Rebecca squeezed her eyes shut as tears started to roll down her face.

_I can hardly breathe,_

_I need to feel you here with me_

"Rebecca?"

Startled, Rebecca spun around. Amy was standing inside the barn only a few feet away. She had to have at least heard some of the phone call. Seeing Rebecca's tears, Amy came closer, concern etched on her features.

_I miss you_

"Rebecca, what happened?"

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><p><strong>AN: **Merry Christmas! I hoped you all enjoyed your present. Please let me know what you thought. Happy Holidays!


	7. Adam

**A/N: **I am so sorry this chapter is late, it was supposed to be a while ago, but time got away from me. I'm not going to say much, just enjoy the chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

"Rebecca?"

Startled, Rebecca spun around. Amy was standing inside the barn only a few feet away. She had to have, at least, heard some of the phone call. Seeing Rebecca's tears, Amy walked closer, concern etched on her features.

"Rebecca, what happened?" Amy asked her.

Rebecca bit her lip, unsure of what to say. "Oh, um, my ex," she said at last. "He just can't accept that we're not together anymore. And with everything that has happened, it's hard just to talk to him, that's why I left. I'm just sorry you saw me like that, it's a little embarrassing." She wiped the tears from her face.

"No, it's fine," Amy assured her. "I don't mean to pry, but if it hurts that much, why did you break up with him?"

"He left me," Rebecca said simply. "One morning, I woke up and he wasn't there. No note or anything. I waited a week for him to return, but he didn't, he didn't even call. I tried to move on with my life. Eventually, I couldn't handle it anymore, everywhere I went reminded me of him, especially that apartment." Rebecca walked into the barn and stopped in front of a stall. She faced Amy again. "That's how I ended up here, but Adam seems to have changed his mind about what he wants."

Amy was silent for a moment, taking it all in. "Has he threatened you? Hurt you?" She finally asked. Rebecca looked at her sharply as if that was the most absurd question in the world.

"No, of course not," Rebecca said, shaking her head. "Adam would never hurt me, not even in anger. It's just hard to let everything go, for both of us."

There was another long silence, and then Amy got an idea. "Hey, do you want to go for a ride?" she asked Rebecca. "It always helps me take my mind off things."

Rebecca looked up at her, a smile starting to appear on her face. "You know that actually sounds like a perfect idea." Rebecca replied.

"Great," Amy thought for a moment. "You can ride Milly, she's the small bay in the front paddock. She's an easy mare to ride, she won't give you any trouble."

"Sounds great!"

Ten minutes later, Spartan and Milly were all tacked up. The bay mare stood quietly as Rebecca tightened the cinch. Milly had come to Heartland after her previous owner's daughter had outgrown her. They had bought another horse and couldn't afford both, so Milly came here. Spartan shifted his feet impatiently and blew out loudly through his nose.

"I think it's tight enough," Amy laughed when Rebecca checked the cinch one more time. "You can get on now."

"I'm just making sure my little riding camp mishap doesn't happen again. I'd hate to embarrass myself in front of a professional." Rebecca explained. "Okay, I'm ready." She picked up the reins and swung up into Milly's saddle.

Both girls turned their horses toward the trail behind the barn, leading away from Heartland. Spartan tossed his head and quickened his pace, wanting to go much faster. Amy looked at Rebecca to see how the other girl was doing. Rebecca was smiling as she guided Milly next to Spartan. She looked up at Amy. At that, Amy let Spartan trot and Milly followed suit.

Rebecca squealed in surprise, but soon settled into the mare's stride. Milly stretched her short legs to match Spartan's longer stride. Rebecca laughed out loud, all thoughts of Adam and the past vanishing from her mind. From this moment, she wasn't looking back anymore, only forward.

**X**

Ty parked his truck by the barn and got out. He glanced around the yard, searching for Amy. He didn't see her, so he walked inside the barn. It was quiet, but Amy could be reading one of her mother's notebooks in the office.

"Amy!" Ty called, walking to the office. No one was in there. Ty turned around and saw that Spartan was missing from his stall. He didn't remember seeing the gelding in the pasture. Amy probably took Spartan on a trail ride. Ty went to the chalk board outside the tack room to see if she had left a note. She did.

_Took Rebecca on trail ride to Clairdale Ridge._

_Be back soon._

_ -Amy_

Ty wasn't sure how he felt about Amy hanging around Rebecca. One part of him was happy that Amy was getting along with his cousin—sister and the other part, he was still trying to wrap his mind around everything Rebecca had told him. Why now? Why, after all these years, did Rebecca choose to tell him the truth now? She could have tried to find him, but she didn't. So, why tell him at all?

Ty shook his head, not wanting to think about this anymore. Deciding to get some studying done, Ty threw his backpack over his shoulder and trudged up the stairs to the loft. He tossed his bag on the bed and opened the loft window, to let in some light. Ty had just taken his books out when he heard footsteps down in the barn, followed by an unfamiliar voice.

"Rebecca!?" It was male.

Ty narrowed his eyes, wondering why somebody was looking for his half-sister at Heartland? Nobody in Hudson even knows her, unless this person isn't from Hudson at all. Ty peeked out the window, pushing the door open all the way. There parked behind his pickup truck was an army-green jeep. He whipped his head around toward the stairs when the person shouted for Rebecca again, this time their voice was filled with desperation. It was also followed by a loud clatter.

Ty rushed out of the loft and down the stairs. He caught the sight of a young man picking himself up off the ground, a midst a pile of pitch forks and shovels. His sandy-blonde hair was unkempt and fell into his dark eyes.

"Becky, I know you're here!" he called again, stumbling a bit as he walked forward. "Let's just talk about this."

"Hey, can I help you?" Ty asked, stepping in front of the other guy.

The guy looked startled when he looked at Ty. The he said, "Yeah, I'm looking for Rebecca Borden. I'm her boyfriend, Adam." He was slurring his words and Ty suspected he'd been drinking.

"I'm Ty," Ty replied. "Rebecca's not here right now, but we can go in the house and wait for her, if you want?" He tried to direct Adam out of the barn. Adam shuffled forward a few steps and them turned abruptly around, causing Ty to take a step back.

"Ty? Ty Borden?" Adam asked. When Ty nodded hesitantly, he continued, "You're Rebecca's brother."

"Wait, you know about that?" Ty questioned him.

"Yeah, I helped Becky track you down, but that was two years ago," Adam shrugged. "I didn't know she'd changed her mind about seeing you."

Ty wasn't listening; he was still stuck on the first thing Adam had said. Two years ago. Two years ago, Rebecca has tracked him down to Heartland. But apparently, she decided that he didn't need to know the truth about his father.

"Where is she?"

"What?" Ty broke out of his thoughts and stared back at Adam.

"You said Rebecca wasn't here," Adam explained. "Where is she then?"

"Oh," Ty said. He pointed to the chalk board with Amy's note on it. "My girlfriend, Amy took Rebecca on a trail ride with two of the horses. They'll be back soon." He paused, taking in Adam's haggard appearance; ripped jeans and rumpled t-shirt. "We could wait inside the house, maybe get something to eat."

Adam smiled and slid down one of the stalls until he was sitting on the ground. "Thanks, but I've got all the refreshments I need." He took out a small, silver flask from his jacket pocket and waved it in the air.

"Okay, we can wait out here," Ty relented. "But how about you hand me the flask? There's no drinking in the barn."

Adam laughed and scooted over until he was sitting just outside the barn door with his back against the wall. "There. I'm not in the barn." He uncapped the flask and took a swig of some strong-smelling alcohol.

Ty let out a breath. He was really starting to dislike this guy. He didn't want to spend another minute with him, but he couldn't just leave Adam by himself, especially if he's been drinking. Ty touched his phone in his pocket, wanting to call Amy and get her and Rebecca back here now. Calling them while they were on the trails could be dangerous, but he could still text Amy. Whipping his phone out, Ty quickly typed out a text and sent it to Amy. Afterwards, Ty looked back at Adam, who was lounging on the ground with his face turned to the sun, eyes closed. He needed answers.

**X**

Milly's short bay legs stretched to keep up with Spartan's long ones as the two horses galloped across the wide trail. The horses were having fun and so was Rebecca. She threw her head back, loving the feel of the wind on her face. Rebecca looked over at Amy and saw that she was slowing Spartan down to a walk. Hiding her disappointment, Rebecca slowed Milly as well. The little mare tossed her head and snorted.

"Wow, that was exhilarating!" Rebecca exclaimed, giving Milly a pat.

"Yeah, galloping is one thing I never tire of," Amy agreed, taking her phone out of her pocket. She studied it a minute and then put it back in her pocket. "We have to get back to Heartland. There's something going on there."

"Like what?" Rebecca asked, following Amy back down the trail.

"I don't know," Amy admitted, guiding Spartan down the trail. "Ty didn't say."

Fifteen minutes later, they clomped back into Heartland. There were two cars parked in front of the barn; Ty's old truck and an army-green jeep. Unconsciously, Rebecca jerked back on the reins causing Milly to snort and stop in her tracks. It couldn't be. But she had only seen one jeep like that before and it belongs to Adam. It even had the same dent in the front passenger side door.

"Rebecca? Are you coming?" Amy interrupted her thoughts and brought her back to the present. She looked up and saw that Amy had dismounted and was standing next to Spartan.

"Uh, yeah," Rebecca said. She collected her thoughts and swung down off of Milly. She gave the mare a pat, who had turned her head to look at her. Rebecca took the reins and led Milly over to Amy and Spartan.

"Are you okay?" Amy asked her, when she approached. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

Rebecca shook her head. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice.

"Becky!"

Rebecca and Amy both turned toward the voice and Adam burst out of the barn, blonde hair falling into his face. Ty was right behind him. Rebecca gulped as the love of her life stumbled over to her. Milly started to shy away from the stumbling stranger, and Amy, gratefully, took the mare from Rebecca. Amy started to lead the two horses to the barn.

"Becky, are you okay?" Adam asked, putting his hands on either side of her face. He was so close; she could smell the alcohol on his breath. Rebecca winced. Adam didn't seem to notice because he went on to say. "I missed you." He leaned to kiss her.

Rebecca pulled back and took Adam's hands off her face. "How did you find me?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"It wasn't that hard," Adam answered. "I did help you find your brother, after all. Why didn't you tell me, you wanted to see Ty? I would've came with you."

"Adam, you need to leave," Rebecca told him, gripping his forearms. Then something registered in her mind. "You drove here!? Adam, you're drunk! Do you know how dangerous that is!?"

Instantly, Adam's face changed. His features hardened as he pulled away from Rebecca. He turned away and ran his hands through his sandy-blonde hair. When he turned back, he fixed her with an icy glare, one that made Rebecca shrink back in fear. Right before her eyes, Adam had turned into someone else, someone she feared.

"I am not drunk, Rebecca!" Adam was almost shouting and he was angry, angrier than she'd ever seen him. "I had a few drinks, so what. I'm allowed, and I am fully aware of what I am doing."

"No, you're not," Rebecca disagreed. "You're drunk, Adam." She didn't like the way her voice sounded; cold and detached. It was like someone else were speaking for her, saying the words she wouldn't dare face.

"I am not drunk!" Adam yelled. Then Adam lunged at her. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the fence of the round pen, holding her in place. "Rebecca, listen to me. I came to take you home. I've missed you so much!"

Rebecca shook her head, tears filling her eyes.

"Okay, that's enough," Ty said, appearing next to them. Rebecca had completely forgotten anybody else was here. Ty pulled Adam away from her, but now without resistance from Adam, and stood in front of her. "I think it's time for you to go."

"Stay out of this!" Adam told him. The more he yelled, the more he slurred his words and the harder it was to understand him. "This doesn't concern you!"

"Yes, it does," Ty replied, his anger building, but he tried to rein it in. "If it concerns my sister, it concerns me."

"Get out of my way!"

When Ty didn't move, Adam threw a punch at him. But in his current state, the punch went wide barely clipping Ty's jaw. It didn't matter, Ty lunged and grabbed Adam by his collar. The two started to struggle, both taking hits from the other. Amy and Rebecca hurried over and tried to pull the boys away from each other, yelling at them to stop.

When they finally broke apart, Rebecca pulled Adam away toward the jeep. "Adam, where are your keys?" she asked him. Adam didn't answer; he was still glaring at Ty. Rebecca shook his arm to get him to look at her. He did and she repeated, "Where. Are. Your. Keys?" Adam nodded towards the jeep, wiping blood from his nose.

Rebecca pulled open the drivers' side door of the jeep and, sure enough, the keys hung from the ignition. "Get in," she told Adam as she climbed inside the jeep. Adam didn't hesitate, he ran around to the other side and got in. Rebecca was about to close the door when Ty hurried over and put his hand on the door. He had a bruise blooming on the right-side of his cheek.

"Rebecca, no, I can't let you go with him," Ty protested.

"Ty, I have to," Rebecca whispered, glancing at Adam to make sure he couldn't hear her. "I'm going to drop him off at the bus station. Sober him up, make sure he can get home safely." Ty looked like he wanted to argue, but to her surprise, he didn't press the issue.

"You're going to come back, right?" Ty asked her instead. "I mean, I just found out your my sister, I don't want to lose you again."

Rebecca hesitated and then nodded. Ty took a step back, allowing Rebecca to close the door. She gulped as Adam reached over and took her hand. She glanced at Adam and he smiled at her.

"Be careful," Ty said.

Rebecca looked back at her brother. "I will." she replied, half-smiling.

Then, taking her hand out of Adam's, Rebecca turned on the jeep and backed up. Turning down the driveway, She glanced out the rear-view mirror. Amy and Ty were standing in front of the barn watching the jeep. In the short time she's been here, she grew attached to everyone. It had felt like the family she had lost. Rebecca regretted what she was about to do, but she had no choice. She wasn't going to let anybody else get hurt.

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><p><strong>AN: **How was it? Did you like? Please tell me in a review. :)


	8. Time to Leave

**A/N: **First, who enjoyed the Season 6 finale? I did! Though, I'm sad the season is over already, at least we get to look forward to season 7! I'm sorry for another long wait and I'm sorry this chapter is really short. I really wanted to get this chapter posted today, so I wasn't really concerned about the length. The song lyrics are As I Turn Away by Lady Antebellum. I promise the next chapter will be longer. Enjoy! :)

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

Rebecca hated lying. She hated being lied to. But she didn't know what else to do. Adam had followed her to Heartland. After three weeks of not knowing where he was or what happened to him, Adam just shows up to her brother's girlfriend's ranch. But as much as Rebecca was angry and confused at him, there was a part of her that had been happy to see him. She couldn't ignore her feelings for Adam; she still loved him. That was why Rebecca had to leave Ty and Heartland.

Rebecca let herself into her cabin at the dude ranch. She was only here to gather up her things. After settling Adam in the apartment, Rebecca had said she needed to get some groceries from the store, which wasn't a whole lie, and had driven back to Heartland to get the rest of her stuff. She was glad it was night, less of a chance of somebody coming by. If she was gone long, Adam would get suspicious and he would probably come after her.

So, Rebecca was hurrying around the cabin, gathering up what little stuff she'd accumulated since being here and threw them in her bag. Her phone chimed in her pocket and, without having to look at it, she knew who it was from. She opened it anyway.

_Just checking in._

_Coming back soon?_

Just reading the message, Rebecca was reminded what it was like three weeks ago. She and Adam would send little messages back and forth to each other, if one or both of them were at work or school. Just short messages saying how much they loved and missed each other. With work and University, they barely had any alone time together. This way offered them both some relief in their otherwise hectic lives. They were happy or at least, Rebecca had thought they were happy.

Rebecca shook herself free of the memory, not wanting to go back to that time. It was just too painful to think about. Instead, she wrote a short, one-word answer back to Adam. Pocketing her phone, Rebecca glanced around the room, making sure she had everything. Then, she threw her bag over her shoulder, picked up her guitar case and hurried out of the cabin.

She had just placed the guitar case on the backseat of the jeep when she saw the glare of headlights coming down the driveway of the dude ranch. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Rebecca threw her bag inside, closed the back door and slid into the drivers' seat. She turned the jeep on and started to reach for the door when a hand came down on it, preventing the door from closing. Rebecca jumped, startled by his sudden approach. She looked up slowly and met Ty's emerald gaze.

"You promised," Ty said, his voice low. Rebecca couldn't tell if he was angry or not. Rebecca didn't say anything. She just sat there, staring at the steering wheel. There was nothing she could say, Ty had caught her in a lie.

"You said you were going to come back, but here you are, planning on leaving again." Ty continued. "I wanted to believe you weren't lying, but I just had this feeling...Why?"

"It's complicated," Rebecca mumbled, still not looking at her brother. "You wouldn't understand."

"Understand what exactly?" Ty questioned her. "That you would rather live with a guy who treats you badly than your own family? The guy is a drunk, you don't need him."

Rebecca shook her head, defiantly. She bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. "Ty, just let me go," she managed to say. "I have to go."

"Why?" Ty asked her again. "What do you owe him?"

"I love him and he needs me," Rebecca said, looking up at Ty. "What you saw today, that wasn't who Adam is. He came to Heartland because of me. It was my fault he was like that."

"Rebecca, Adam is the one who drank, not you," Ty told her, trying to make her see reason. "This is not your fault. Amy told me he left you, why would you go back to him after what he put you through?"

"Because..." Rebecca trailed off. She didn't know what to say. What could she say that would make Ty understand why she had to leave. "He—he didn't leave me, not in that sense. Adam had checked himself into an alcohol abuse program at a mental health facility. He was too ashamed to tell me, he thought that if he could get himself sober that everything would be alright again." If she closed her eyes, Rebecca could see Adam's face as he told her all this in the car. He wouldn't look at her at all until he was finished, like he was afraid he'd let her down. And he had, in a way.

"But he ended up drinking again," Ty pointed out.

"Exactly," Rebecca said. "Because I wasn't there. When Adam came home to our apartment and saw that I wasn't there, he'd assumed I was at school or work. After hours went by and I hadn't returned any of his calls or texts, he got worried and went to the police." A tear slid down Rebecca's cheek as she realized she was the cause of Adam's drinking. "There was nothing they could do, so he went home. He didn't know what else to do." Her voice cracked. "He was halfway done his third bottle of beer by the time I finally answered his call!"

"That doesn't make it your fault," Ty replied gently. He had been quiet the whole time she had been talking. He put a hand on her shoulder, seeing that she needed comfort not a lecture right now.

"Yes, it does!" Rebecca exclaimed, turning on him, tears running rivers down her face. "Don't you see? If I had been at the apartment or just answered his calls, he'd still be sober right now. It's my fault!"

"And then what, Rebecca?" Ty questioned, his voice sounding a little to rough even to him, but he couldn't help it. "Do you really think it would have lasted? Adam started drinking for a reason and judging by what happened, he hasn't worked that out yet."

"But I should have known," Rebecca said, digging in the glove compartment for a tissue and wiped her eyes. "If I had been paying attention, I would've seen this coming. I could have helped him." She looked down at her lap, crumpling the tissue in her hands.

"Becky," Ty started, his voice softening again. "Adam made the decision to drink, not you. There was nothing you could do once he did."

"I don't believe that," Rebecca whispered.

Ty sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Becky, it's okay if you still have feelings for the guy, but it's not up to you save him. He has to want to stay sober."

Rebecca choked on a sob, but otherwise stayed quiet.

"C'mon," Ty said, giving her arm a tug. Rebecca resisted at first, but then, after turning off the jeep, she let him pull her out of the jeep. Ty pulled her into a hug and Rebecca was grateful that he was here. She held on tightly to her brother. It felt like she was losing Adam all over again, except she knew where he was and that made it even harder. The fact that Adam had chosen alcohol over her. It wasn't her fault that Adam chose to drink and hide it from her. He obviously thought he didn't need any help, so why was she trying so hard to save him?

"Will you be okay?" Ty asked her when they pulled away from each other.

_One step, my heart is breaking_

_One more, my hands are shaking_

_The door is closing,_

_And I just can't change it_

Rebecca just nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She let Ty lead her back to the cabin, his arm around her shoulders. Rebecca knew she was doing the right thing, but she couldn't help to feel the ache in her chest getting bigger with each step she took towards the cabin. It was like with each step, a valley was being forged between herself and Adam until it was so large she could only make out a sliver of a shape on the horizon. To lessen the hurt, Rebecca pulled out her phone, she'll send one last text message to Adam. Hopefully, he'll hear it and pick himself up out of the drunken hole he'd fallen down.

**I love you.**

_Nothing more to say_

_Nothing left to break_

_I keep reaching out for you_

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><p><strong>AN: **Again, I'm sorry it's so short, but the next chapter will definitely be longer. So, please review, it makes me happy. :)


	9. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Hey guys,

I'm sorry this isn't a chapter and that I haven't updated in a long time. The reason being that I am trying to finish up two of my other fanfics. They're both at the end, and I would like to finish them both, that way I can focus just on this one. So, that is why I haven't updated. Please stay with me, I promise you I will continue this story. Be patient.

While you wait, I've made a trailer to go along with this story. Please check it out and let me know what you think. :)

www youtube com/watch?v=Z48_FDoqnvU


	10. Drama at the Ranch

**A/N: **I know it's been awhile since I've updated this story, but I was finishing up two other stories. Now, I can solely focus on this one and so updates will be coming much faster. Hopefully, there are still some readers following this story and if there are please enjoy this chapter. :)

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

"So, I was thinking we could do something together today, you know, hang out," Rebecca said as she lay back on the bed, her cell phone pressed to her ear. "We haven't really spent any time with each other since I got here."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Ty apologized from the other end of the phone. Rebecca felt her hopes fall. "But I promised Amy I would go look at a horse with her today and then I have to stop by the clinic for a little bit."

"Wow, you've become a man of business, Mr. Borden," Rebecca joked. She sat up and plucked a strawberry out of her breakfast bowl.

"Yeah, that's the life of a vet student," Ty agreed, chuckling. Then he grew serious. "How are you today, after last night?"

Rebecca sighed, biting into the strawberry. She's been trying to forget about yesterday's events, but to no avail. She just couldn't shake the feeling that Adam wasn't going to take this well. "It's better if I don't think about it." Rebecca told her brother truthfully. She took another bite of the strawberry and then put the end back in the bowl. "So, sitting around here today isn't an option, but, besides you, I don't know anybody else here. And you just said you were busy today, so I don't know what to do."

"I'm sorry," Ty said and Rebecca felt bad for making him apologize for spending time with his fiancee. "You can hang out at Heartland today, and then we can get dinner at Maggie's, if you want?"

Rebecca couldn't help, but snort out a laugh. "I'm sure the last thing that family wants is for me to come back around after yesterday. They probably can't wait for me to leave." Even though she meant it as a joke, a part of her believed it to be true. If it were her, she wouldn't let someone like her on her property again.

"That's not true," Ty reassured her. "Becky, you are not responsible for Adam coming the way he did. No one blames you."

_Maybe they should, _Rebecca thought to herself. "I don't know, I'll think about it," she finally said out loud. "Dinner sounds great though, but let's make it a double date. You bring Amy and I'll bring a hot cowboy I met a few days ago."

"Oh, do I know him?" Ty asked. His tone changed a bit to something that Rebecca couldn't determine.

"Possibly," Rebecca grinned, thinking of the cowboy.

"Am I going to have to give him the brother lecture?" Ty asked again, jokingly, but Rebecca detected a hint of seriousness in his voice. "Let him know what will happen to him, if he hurts you."

She laughed. "Ty, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." she told him.

"I know," Ty said quietly. They were silent for a moment, and then Ty said, "I guess I'll see you tonight then." Rebecca agreed and they both said their goodbyes.

Rebecca tossed the phone on the mattress and got up, deciding to risk it and go to Heartland. If they kicked her out, then she'll deal with it then. She pulled on a pair of faded, form-fitting jeans, a yellow thermal shirt, and her black boots completed the look. Stuffing her cell phone into the pocket of her leather jacket, Rebecca hurried out of the cabin.

**/X/**

The dabble-gray mare cantered smoothly and elegantly around the large outdoor arena. Her neck was arched beautifully as she moved on the bit. Her short, black mane flopped in the wind, and her matching tail swished from side to side. She was the perfect picture of an obedient show horse, except she looked unhappy, with her ears pinned back. Her rider sat lightly on her back, and he didn't kick her or pull on her mouth. There was nothing to the naked eye that Amy could see wrong with the mare. In fact, the mare hasn't even acted out or shown any defiance since they've been out here, so Amy wondered if they were even watching the right horse.

All of a sudden, the mare tossed her head and broke into a breakneck gallop. The rider calmly tried to pull the mare up, but it was futile. Amy saw that the mare had taken the bit between her teeth; she had all the control. But the mare wasn't trying to dislodge her rider, she was clearing just galloping full-out without any intent to harm. Then, as strange as it began, the mare slowed to a trot and then a walk. She allowed her rider to lead her over to the fence.

Hal Davis, the owner of Champion Run Stables and the mare, turned toward Amy and Ty. He was tall, probably in his thirties, with cropped black hair and he was dressed neatly in jeans and black polo shirt. "There you have it, Cascade Falls." he said. "We can't get through a training session without her pulling some stunt like that."

"Well, she definitely wasn't spooked," Amy replied. "Are you sure there's nothing physically wrong?"

Hal shook his head. "All our saddles are custom-made to fit each horse, and we've had a vet check her out two times." he explained. He nodded toward the young, blonde rider. "Brant, go ahead and untack her." The boy, Brant, nodded and dismounted.

"Yeah, Scott and I couldn't find anything wrong with her," Ty added.

Amy stared after Cascade Falls as Brant led the mare away. She couldn't help but notice the way she kept tossing her head, almost as if she resented Brant's hold on the reins. "I'll do it." Amy said, determinedly, and then turned back to Hal and Ty. "I want to help her."

"Great," Hal replied, clapping his hands together. "I'll go tell Brant to bring Cas out to your trailer." The man hurried to the barn, seeming relieved now that Amy was going to 'fix' his horse. But Amy was pretty sure the mare didn't need any fixing.

"What are you thinking?" Ty asked, stepping in front of her.

"I'm not sure," Amy admitted. "But I'm pretty sure Cas didn't bolt just now. She wasn't scared, angry, or in pain. She actually seemed happy to be galloping on her own, enjoying her freedom. But she wasn't fighting Brant for control. I don't know, it's tricky, I haven't gotten it all figured out yet." She sighed as she watched Brant come out of the barn with the dapple-gray mare in tow, who was now wearing a black-and-gold travel sheet instead of a saddle.

"Well, if anybody can figure that horse out, it's you," Ty said as he put his arm around her.

"Well, with you supporting me, how can I not?" Amy replied, smiling. They started walking over to Hal and Brant, who was standing by the Heartland trailer. Cas was staring at the trailer interestedly. Amy had the sudden thought that the mare had probably never been in a trailer this small before.

"I'm so glad you've agreed to fix her," Hal said when they approached, though Amy winced at his choice of words. It was like he implied that Cas was a broken toy that he was going to get fixed. "She's a special one." He patted Cas' neck.

"We'll do our best," Ty told him as he took Cas' lead from Brant.

As Ty loaded the mare into the trailer, Amy turned to Hal. "So, I'll call you in a few days to let you know how she's doing." she replied.

"No worries," Hal smiled an easy smile. "I know she's in more than capable hands."

"Thank you," Amy said. She shook both Hal's and Brant's hands and then turned to Ty, who was waiting by the trailer. Ty nodded to the other two. Together, they got into the truck to take Cascade Falls to Heartland.

**/X/**

"Knock, knock!" Rebecca called out, poking her head through the door of the Heartland ranch house. There was a small child's voice asking _Who's there? _And then a woman's voice, inviting her in. Rebecca stepped cautiously through the entryway and into the kitchen. Lou stood in front of a two-year-old, a dark pink sweatshirt in her hands. Katie stood with a misshapen mass of a stuffed animal clutched in her arms and a stubborn expression on her face. It was only when the little girl turned that Rebecca saw that the stuffed animal was an octopus; green with gold luminescent scales.

"Oh, hi, Rebecca," Lou sighed, putting Katie's coat on the back of a chair. Taking advantage of her mother's preoccupation, Katie scampered away before Lou could grab her.

"Sorry, is this a bad time?" Rebecca asked, thinking that she shouldn't have come. "Ty said, it would be okay if I came over."

"No, of course you can stay," Lou said. "It's just that I have to run out to get a few things from the store, and Katie is in an uncooperative mood today. Of course, nobody is here to help me, so I'm stuck here."

An idea struck Rebecca just then. "If you want, I can watch Katie for you, while you go to the store?" Rebecca offered.

"Actually, that would be great," Lou replied, visibly relieved. "Do you have experience with kids?"

Rebecca was shocked; she didn't expect Lou to go for the idea. "I've babysat a few kids before." Rebecca told her honestly.

"Great!" Lou exclaimed, scooping up her coat and bag. "She just ate, but she might not be ready to take a nap just yet, so just let her play until she tires herself out. If she goes outside, make sure she wears a coat, but not that one..." Lou pointed to the pink sweatshirt draped over the chair, staring at it for a moment. Then, she went over and pulled a small, black sweatshirt from the coat rack in the entryway. "She wears this when she goes outside, so she doesn't get her nice clothes dirty. We like her to look somewhat decent when we go out." Lou explained, giving a laugh at the end. She handed Rebecca the sweatshirt and then, scribbled something down on a post-it. "This is my cell phone number, if anything goes wrong. You can call Ty or myself, but she shouldn't give you any trouble."

Rebecca took the post-it, smiling through the woman's obsessiveness, and put the note in her pocket. "Got it. Everything will be fine." Rebecca answered her.

"Okay, I'm leaving," Lou nodded, back toward the door. "Mommy, loves you, Katie!" With a wave to Rebecca, Lou was gone.

"Okay, Katie, it's just you and me now!" Rebecca called out to the little girl, walking further into the house in search of the toddler. She found her in her room, sitting on the floor with her stuffed octopus. "Hey, Katie, do you want to go on a walk and see the horsies outside?"

"Puss?" Katie said, questioningly, holding up the octopus.

"I think we should leave him in the house so he doesn't get dirty," Rebecca suggested, but in her mind, she didn't think the two-year-old wouldn't go for it. Katie stared at her for what seemed like a few minutes and then finally put Puss the Octopus down without complaint.

Katie willingly let Rebecca put her sweatshirt on. Though, they struggled for a bit; Katie kept trying to put the wrong arm in the wrong hole. Afterward, Rebecca led Katie outside and they started walking to the barn, their hands swinging as they went. When they got closer to the barn Katie pointed excitedly at the corral.

"Pony!" the little girl squealed.

"Is that your pony?" Rebecca asked her. "Do you want to go pet him?" When Katie nodded, Rebecca picked her up, so that she would be able to reach better, and walked up to the fence. The pinto pony walked up to them with pricked ears. Katie giggled softly as she pet the pony's soft face. Rebecca's heart warmed watching the toddler enjoy her pony, she couldn't help but smile.

"This is sweet,"

An icy chill slid down Rebecca's spine and her smile disappeared as she instantly recognized the voice. But it wasn't the voice she'd become accustomed to, it was filled with a cold detachment. Rebecca turned slowly around, her grip on Katie tightening. Seeming to sense her fear, Katie grew quiet and her brown eyes were wide. Adam stood merely ten feet away, in the same rumpled clothes he was wearing yesterday.

"I knew you'd come back here," Adam said. He wasn't slurring his words, but Rebecca knew he was drunk. It surrounded him like a second skin. "I didn't want to believe it, but something told me you had lied. That you weren't coming back. Why, Rebecca, why would you do this to me?"

Rebecca looked around desperately, searching for anybody, but nobody else was here. She wondered briefly how Adam could have gotten here, but quickly pushed it to the back of her mind, it didn't matter, he was here now. And she was faced with the harsh reality; she was here alone with her extremely, volatile ex-boyfriend and a two-year-old girl. Adam took a step toward them and Rebecca automatically took a step backward, her back colliding with the fence. She was trapped. Rebecca realized that she may not be able to escape this situation, so she had to do what she could to keep Katie safe.

Keeping one eye on Adam, Rebecca knelt on the ground, placing Katie on her feet. The little girl stared up at her with fearful eyes as Rebecca took her by her shoulders. "Katie, I need you to be a brave girl and listen to me," Rebecca told Katie, unsure if the little girl was understanding everything she was saying. "When I say so, I need you to run as fast as you can to the barn and hide. And don't come out until I tell you to, okay?"

Katie just stared at her.

"Cute kid," Adam said, glancing at Katie. He gave her small wave. "Hi, pretty girl."

"Don't talk to her," Rebecca replied as she stood back up, making sure she stood between Katie and Adam. "She has nothing to do with you, just leave her alone." With that, Rebecca told Katie to go and, to her relief, Katie did just that. They both watched the little girl run into the barn.

"What happened to us, Becky?" Adam said quietly. It almost sounded like he was talking to himself. "That you don't trust me around children."

"Don't do that. Don't put this on me," Rebecca replied defensively. "You're the one who started drinking and then decided to take off without telling me. I spent weeks not knowing if you were alive or dead! Do you have any idea what you put me through?!"

"I was trying to get sober, for you." Adam explained, but his explanation fell flat.

"And picking up a phone to let me know you were alright, didn't occur to you?" Rebecca accused him. She tried to keep her voice down, but her emotions were running on high. "You didn't do this for me. You ran away because you were a coward, who couldn't face his problems or-"

In a flash, Adam was in front of her, pinning her to the fence with his hands. Rebecca heard the horses in the corral behind her bolt away, panicked from the sudden, violent movement. She gasped out loud, fear making her heart beat faster. Once again, Adam had changed right before her eyes. His eyes were black and fathomless and his face was a twisted mask of rage. Rebecca was suddenly more afraid than she'd ever been before. She didn't know what this Adam was capable of.

"Don't you dare say that again!" Adam growled, slamming her back into the fence. It sent a shock through her back and tears brimmed her eyes. His fingers were like claws digging into her skin from where he was gripping her arms tightly. "Everything I do is for you. I only want the best for you, but you keep ruining it!"

"Adam, you're hurting me," Rebecca whimpered.

To her surprise, Adam dropped his hands, his face softening and his eyes were glassing over with unshed tears. "See, why do you have to make me hurt you? Why can't you just come home with me? Becky, I love you, please just come home with me!" He seemed to be begging her now. Rebecca shook her head, her body shaking as she tried to blink back tears.

The slap stung her cheek hard and it knocked her a little off-balance, but she remained on her feet. Rebecca put a hand to her stinging cheek as a tear slipped down her face. Adam's fist was harder when it collided with her face and this time she did fall to the ground. Rebecca cried out as her vision went black for a moment. She didn't have time to move though, because Adam was right there, looming over her. He yanked her up by her hair, so that her face was close to his.

Rebecca saw that his face was wet with his own tears. "Please don't make me do this!" Adam pleaded, his voice quiet. She wasn't sure if he was talking to her anymore or to himself. It looked like she could reach out and pull him back from this. So, she tried.

"Adam-"

His name was barely off her lips when there came a shout from somewhere and the slam of a car door. Adam's face changed to panic and Rebecca felt him slip away from her. He let go of her and she fell back on the ground, unable to catch herself. She tried to call out to Adam as he ran away, but she heard the jeep start up and it was too late. Adam was gone. There was another shout and then Jack was right in front of her.

"Rebecca, are you alright?" Jake asked her as he helped her to sit up.

"I'm fine," Rebecca answered, wiping tears and dirt from her face. Her head ached from where Adam had grabbed her hair and she could barely open her right eye. "Is the baby okay?"

"Katie? What do you mean? Where is she?" Jack questioned her gently.

Rebecca was confused for a moment. "Katie? Oh, I told her to go to the barn and hide," She shook her head. "But that's not-" She didn't get to finish the sentence though, because another face appeared before her. Ty.

"Is she okay?" Ty asked Jack. "Amy and I were just driving up when we nearly got hit by somebody speeding away in Rebecca's car." He didn't say who it was, but Rebecca saw by the strained set of his jaw that he knew who it was.

"She says she is, but her eye says differently," Jack said. "Do you got her? She said Katie is the barn."

"Yeah, I have her. Go," Ty told him, and Jack hurried off. Ty turned to her. "Becky, what happened?" Rebecca just shook her head unable and not wanting to say anything.

"Ty, we should call the police," Amy spoke up. Rebecca looked up at her, having just noticed she was here.

"Yeah," Ty agreed and he pulled out his cell phone. But Rebecca grabbed his wrist before he could do anything.

"No, please, don't call the police," she begged Ty. Ty just stared at her with a mix of confusion.

"Rebecca, the police have to know about this," Amy said, hoping to talk some sense into her. "If we don't, then he's just going to do this again. We have-"

"No!" Rebecca snapped at her. She didn't mean to, it just came out. She was still hurting and tired and she just wanted to lie down. Ty must have seen this because he reluctantly gave in.

"Okay," Ty sighed. "Let's get you inside and then we'll go from there."

So, with Amy and Ty helping her, Rebecca walked slowly toward the ranch house. Behind them, Rebecca could hear Jack consoling Katie, but Rebecca's mind was elsewhere. It was on the fact that just for a moment Adam had seemed reachable. But now that that moment was gone, Rebecca didn't know if Adam was lost to her for good.

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><p><strong>AN: **I know that chapter was really intense, so please tell me what you think after all that in a review. The next chapter will be up soon. :)


	11. Blood, Tears, and Revelations

**A/N: **I'm sorry to keep you waiting for this chapter, the last half was a little tougher to write so it took me a little longer. But it's up now, and I hope you like it. :)

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

**Blood, Tears, and Revelations**

Rebecca sat on the couch in the living room of the ranch house, staring dully at the black TV screen. She had an ice pack to her eye, which was now a dull throb, and her elbows slightly burned from where she had fallen on them. But the physical pain was easier to deal with. It was the emotional pain that kept threatening to swallow her. All she kept thinking of was the way Adam had looked right before Jack had shown up, like he really didn't want to hurt her. She didn't know how to explain it, but it just felt like she could get through to him somehow.

It seemed like everybody had come home around the same time after that. Lou had immediately gathered Katie into her arms once she heard what had happened, and she was now putting the toddler down for a nap. Amy had gone outside to unload a horse from the trailer. Georgie wasn't home yet, but she'll be getting home from school soon. Rebecca kept apologizing to them all, but they kept insisting it wasn't her fault. She knew it was though. She was the one who had shown up out of the blue, the one that led Adam straight here.

"Becky, can you please just tell us what happened?" Ty asked for the fifth time. "We just want to help you. Adam needs to be stopped. The police can do that."

"Please,... just no police," Rebecca said, her voice hoarse. She lowered the ice pack from her face and picked up the cup of tea Jack had given her and took a reassuring sip. "Okay, Adam showed up and we said some things. I thought I could talk to him, but things got emotional, for both of us, and I fell, that's all. It's not a big deal."

"Rebecca, what I saw was not nothing," Jack replied. He'd been quiet until now. "He was hurting, and if you don't say anything, you're only allowing him to do it again."

"No," Rebecca said more firmly. "I know it looks bad, but I also know that deep down Adam really doesn't want to hurt me. I saw it in his eyes. I have to help him."

"Maybe so," Ty replied, leaning forward so that his elbows rested on his knees. "Adam needs real, professional help. You can't do this by yourself."

"Maybe I can," Rebecca said thoughtfully. Ty rubbed a hand over his face, trying to hide his frustration. She put her cup down on the table, having made up her mind. "There's something I have to tell you."

Just then, the front door opened and a second later, Amy appeared in the living room. "How's it going in here?" she asked. Rebecca looked up at her, her nerves almost running out on her.

"Rebecca was just about to tell us something," Ty told Amy. He scooted over, so that Amy could sit down next to him on the couch. Amy sat down.

Rebecca was suddenly nervous with everybody staring at her, waiting for her to say something. "Well, um..." she started, licking her lips. "I am, kind a... I'm pregnant."

A hush fell over the room as everybody took in the news and what that meant. Rebecca looked down at her hands, feeling like a huge weight was just lifted from her shoulders. There was the echo of footsteps as Lou came out of Katie's room. "Did I just hear someone say they're pregnant?"

"I did," Rebecca nodded. Lou's mouth dropped open, but she abruptly closed it. "I found out a couple of weeks ago. That's part of the reason why I left."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ty asked quietly.

"Because," Rebecca breathed out, wiping away tears from her eyes before they could fall. "I thought that if I kept it to myself, then I wouldn't have to face the fact that I might have to raise this baby on my own."

"Becky, you're not alone," Ty told her, quietly, reaching for her hand and squeezing it. "We're all here for you." Ty looked to Jack for confirmation and Jack nodded.

"Rebecca, does Adam know?" Amy voiced the question that was probably on everybody's mind.

Rebecca shook her head. "No, I found out after he was already gone. That's why I was thinking, I should tell him now," she said, trying to think of anything that won't make Adam lost to her. "If anything's going to keep," Adam sober, it will be his baby, right? I have to tell him."

She looked around at all the solemn expressions and her heart sank. Nobody argued with her, but nobody agreed with her either. Rebecca knew she was grasping at straws, but she couldn't help it. If there were a chance to save Adam, even it were small, shouldn't she take it? Rebecca put her hand on her flat stomach, thinking this baby could be Adam's last chance.

"First things first," Jack broke the silence. "We should get you to the hospital, make sure that baby of yours is okay. That was a bad fall you took."

"That's not necessary, I feel fine," Rebecca assured everybody. "There's no pain or anything like that. I'm fine."

"You don't want to take any chances," Lou told her. "You should definitely get checked out by a doctor."

"Look, even if I wanted to, I can't," Rebecca said. "I don't have any money, I wouldn't be able to afford it."

"You just let us worry about that," Jack replied.

"No, I couldn't ask you to do that," Rebecca protested. "Not after all the trouble I've caused. It wouldn't be right."

"Becky, please," Ty tried to convince her. "You've been gone most of my life. Please, just let me take care of you just once."

Rebecca looked at him and then at everybody else. They were all willing to help her, even though they barely knew her. She was overwhelmed; she'd never had this many people looking out for her before. "Okay." she finally said, blinking back tears. Ty pulled her into a hug, and she could tell he was relieved that she agreed to let him help her.

The front door opened just as they pulled apart and a young voice echoed through the house. "School sucks! My teacher hates me, she purposefully gave me a load of homework just because. It's not fair!"

Georgie appeared in the living room, where she abruptly stopped talking. She gazed around at the crowd assembled there, shouldering her backpack and commented, "Wow, who died?"

**/X/**

Rebecca sat in the waiting room of Hudson Medical Center. She had just finished filling out the forms the nurse had given her and Ty was now handing them in. He had insisted on coming in with her, even though she had told him he didn't have to. She did have to admit it was nice not to be by herself. Rebecca looked around at the handful of people in the waiting room. There was one man in a cowboy hat who had a bandage around his left hand, but Rebecca could see a bright red spot blooming on the white cloth. She shuddered to think what happened. There was another pregnancy too, but the woman was a little older than her and she sat next to her husband, her hands around her rounded belly. The way they kept whispering excitedly to each other, Rebecca couldn't look at them.

Ty plopped in the chair next to her with a sigh. "You know, you really don't have to stay," Rebecca said to him. "I thought you had to go to the vet clinic today anyway?"

"I called Scott and told him I wouldn't be able to come in today," Ty explained. "Cassandra's there, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"Great, now I have you skipping out on your job," Rebecca muttered. A lump of guilt rose up inside her. She hated making Ty put his life on hold to take care of her.

"Hey," Ty turned in his chair to face her. "None of that. I'm here because I want to be. How would you even have gotten here?"

Rebecca shrugged. "I just don't want you to think of me as your obligation." she admitted.

"I think of you as my sister, nothing less," Ty told her. "I see my sister, who has been through a pretty tough time and deserves to be taken care of in a place that she is safe and sound."

"Thank you, Ty," Rebecca said. "I don't know what I would have done, if I hadn't ended up at Heartland." Ty squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

"Rebecca Borden?" a nurse called.

"Now, go make sure that baby is okay," Ty said. "I'll be out here when you're done." Rebecca smiled and stood up. She walked over to the young nurse in pink scrubs holding a medical chart. The nurse smiled at her, then turned and walked back through the double doors she'd come through. Rebecca took it as a cue to follow.

They walked down a long, white hallway, eventually turned right down another hallway and then left down a shorter hallway. Finally, the nurse stopped in front of a door with a small, narrow window. She opened the door and gestured for Rebecca to go in first. Rebecca walked into the exam room and then turned to look back at the nurse.

"Dr. Shultz will be in shortly to see you," the nurse told her.

"Okay," Rebecca nodded.

The nurse closed the door behind her, leaving Rebecca alone in the room. She blew out her breath, feeling suddenly nervous. She hadn't thought about what she'd do if something had happened to the baby. Rebecca wasn't even sure of her own feelings toward the baby. She leaned back against the exam table, the paper crinkling under her hands, and looked around the room. The poster on the opposite wall caught her eye. It featured a mother holding her newborn baby to her chest.

Rebecca had mixed feelings about her pregnancy. From the moment she took the test and it came back positive, she didn't know how she felt. Rebecca always knew she wanted to have kids, but only after she finished University, and got married. She never thought she'd be pregnant and alone, living at her brother's fiancee's ranch, with her ex-boyfriend stalking her. Placing her hands on her flat belly, she sighed. The door to the exam room creaked open and Rebecca dropped her hands abruptly, startled. A blonde doctor came into the room, her hair pulled back in a low bun. Her white coat rippled around her from the light breeze caused by the door opening. She looked at Rebecca and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Shultz," the doctor introduced herself. She glanced down at the folder in her hands. "You must be Rebecca and this is your first pregnancy?"

Rebecca nodded. Dr. Shultz looked up at her and laughed. "You can sit down," she said, patting the exam table. "And relax. It says here that you haven't been to a doctor since you took the at-home test."

Rebecca nodded again as she sat up on the table.

"Then let's get started, shall we?" Dr. Shultz replied, putting the folder down.

Fifteen minutes later, Rebecca was pulling her leather jacket back on, while Dr. Shultz scribbled notes down in her chart. The doctor had barely said a word through the entire examination and Rebecca wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Finally, the doctor looked up at her and stood up from the stool she'd been sitting on.

"Everything looks to be fine," Dr. Shultz told her with a smile. "You are three weeks along, with no problems I can see. Here are some pre-natal vitamins and a prescription for a refill." Rebecca took the bottle and slip of paper from the doctor, but Dr. Shultz wasn't finished yet. "Now, do you want to explain what happened to your eye?"

Rebecca stopped, startled. She had completely forgotten about her black eye. Before leaving the ranch, she had tried to cover up the bruise as best as she could with make-up. Obviously, it was still noticeable. "It was an accident." Rebecca muttered.

"If someone is hurting you, I can help you," Dr. Shultz offered.

"No, really," Rebecca tried to smile it off to reassure the doctor. "There was just an accident with a horse, this is nothing. I'm fine."

Dr. Shultz didn't look convinced, but she didn't press the issue further. Rebecca thanked her for everything and opened the door to leave. But before she could leave, Dr. Shultz said one last thing. "Rebecca, you're not alone in this. There are people who care about you."

Rebecca nodded, and hurried out of the room. She was already beginning to understand that Ty, Amy, and everybody at Heartland did care about what happened to her. When she came back to the waiting room, Ty put down the magazine he'd been browsing through and stood up. He had an expectant, worried look on his face and Rebecca decided to have a little fun with him. Rebecca walked over to him slowly, keeping her face neutral.

"Becky, what's wrong? What did the doctor say?" Ty asked, concern in his voice.

Rebecca couldn't keep up the joke after hearing her brother's concern. She looked up at him with a smile on her face. "Everything's okay, the baby is fine." she told him.

"Really?" Ty smiled back at her and pulled her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you!" Rebecca gripped him back just as tightly, feeling like her happiness could burst out of her. When they pulled a part, Rebecca's cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so big.

"So, are you ready to go home?" Ty asked her.

Rebecca didn't even hesitate when she nodded and said, "Yes, I am."

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><p><strong>AN:** Okay, you know what to do. Please review and tell me what you think. I'll try to have the next chapter up sooner this time. :)


	12. Lunch Date

**A/N:** I told you this chapter was going to be up sooner, five days isn't that bad. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

**Lunch Date**

Rebecca hummed to herself as she moved the scrambled eggs around inside the skillet. When they were fluffy and golden, she turned off the burner of the small stove and slid the eggs onto a plate. There was movement outside, telling her that Ty was finally waking up. Rebecca poured coffee into a blue mug and opened the door to the trailer. The early morning chill hit her first, and was then followed by a wave of guilt. Ty was sitting up on the old, beat-up sofa, rubbing sleep from his eyes. She cleared her throat and he turned around to look at her.

"Morning," Ty said, his voice rough from sleep.

Rebecca handed the mug of coffee to him. "I can't believe you actually slept out here all night," she replied, pulling her light purple robe tighter around her and crossing her arms. Ty took the mug from her and smiled at her gratefully.

"It's no problem, really," Ty reassured her, after taking a sip of the steaming coffee. "It wasn't that bad out here, if Harley can do it, then I can too."

Rebecca looked over at the bay gelding in the small corral and then back at her brother. "Okay, one, Harley is a horse and two, what are you going to do when it gets even colder at night?"

Instead of answering, Ty took another sip of his coffee.

Rebecca nodded her head in affirmation. "Exactly," she said, feeling proud that he didn't argue with her. "I can move back into the dude ranch, I don't mind."

"Well, I do," Ty stated, matter-of-factly, setting the mug down on the table in front of him. "I told you, I don't like you being all alone at the dude ranch in your condition. What if something happens and no one is around? If you don't like this arrangement, Jack's offer to stay at Heartland is still open."

Rebecca shook her head. "And _I _told_ you_ that wasn't an option. I don't want to put that family out more than I have already." she explained.

"Then stop complaining," Ty said, picking up his mug again, grinning a little bit.

"I wasn't complaining," Rebecca resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. "Do you want some breakfast or not. I made eggs and toast." She stepped back inside the trailer as Ty stood up.

"Wow, you made breakfast!" Ty said in disbelief, when he came inside and saw the food on the table. "I didn't know you could cook."

"Oh, come on, after all those pretend meals I made you when we were younger," Rebecca countered, sitting down opposite Ty at the table. "Of course, this isn't any gourmet buffet breakfast. I don't know if you noticed, but you're kitchen is a bit lacking."

"Yeah, I know," Ty laughed, scooping up some eggs and putting them in his mouth. He glanced over and saw no plate in front of her. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

"Nah," Rebecca said, trying not to look at the food. "I haven't been able to keep anything down when I first wake up in the mornings the past few days. I guess that's why they call it morning sickness. Just the smell of those eggs right now is enough to make me puke my intestines out."

"That's nice, Becky, you always had a way with words," Ty replied, swallowing hard. Rebecca laughed. "But you should really eat something. The baby needs all the nutrients you can give it. You can't go all day without eating."

Just to please him, Rebecca reached over and grabbed a piece of toast off of Ty's plate. She took a big bite of it. "There, happy?" she asked him, then laughed again when she spit crumbs everywhere. Ty laughed too.

When he got his laughter under control, Ty asked, "Will you be up for late lunch today?"

"Yeah, the nausea usually ends by then," Rebecca answered, wiping her mouth on a napkin. "Why?"

"Well, Caleb has been asking me about you," Ty said, finishing his eggs. "So, I was thinking we all could get together for lunch, you, me, Amy, and Caleb, if you want?"

"Of course, it sounds like fun," Rebecca agreed. "We never did get to go out the last time, since, you know."

The two lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Neither knowing if they should bring up the sore subject of Adam. Finally, Ty did. "Have you talked to him?" he asked her. "Did you tell him about the baby?"

Rebecca shook her head. "He hasn't returned my calls," she explained. "I've left messages for him to call me, but nothing. And I don't really want to just say it in a text, that feels a little too impersonal."

"I understand," Ty nodded his head a little.

Wanting to get off the current topic, Rebecca said with a sly smile, "So, what exactly did Caleb say about me?"

Ty looked at her and grinned. "He just finds you very 'interesting'." he told her.

"Interesting how?" she pressed him.

"You're too much," Ty shook his head at her, not wanting to say anymore. "What time is it anyway?"

Rebecca looked down at her phone. "Almost nine," she said.

Ty's eyes went wide and he jumped up from the table, almost knocking over his half cup of coffee. "I'm going to be late for class!" he exclaimed. He started grabbing his books and shoving them into his bag. He stopped once to sniff his shirt, and then yanked it over his head to exchange it for a clean one. Grabbing his jacket, he raced out of the trailer. "I'll text Amy on my way and she can come and take to Heartland!"

Rebecca's mouth dropped open and she hurried out after him. "Ty, I don't need a babysitter," she protested. "I'll be fine here by myself for a few hours."

"Rebecca, please don't argue with me, I don't have time," Ty said, throwing his stuff into his truck and climbing inside. He leaned out the window. "I'll feel better knowing you're not alone."

"Fine," Rebecca sighed. "But you're not off the hook yet. We're going to talk about this later!"

Ty gave her a wave as he turned the truck around and drove away. Rebecca leaned against the doorway to the trailer and smiled to herself. Of course, Ty in overprotective mode was tiring and annoying, but in some way it was nice. For the first time in weeks, Rebecca actually felt safe and happy. She had come to terms with her pregnancy and hopefully things with Adam would work out. But in the meantime, she was content to just live her life with no fear.

**/X/**

Caleb held the door open for both Amy and Rebecca as they walked into Maggie's Diner at twelve-thirty. Ty had called Amy to say he was running late and for them to go ahead to the diner. He'd said that he would be here in ten minutes. They chose a table near the back and sat down. Almost immediately a waitress came over to take their order. They just ordered drinks to start, wanting to wait for Ty.

"So, you expect me to believe that you were bucked off a horse, slammed into a pole where the horse proceeded kick you until the rodeo clowns distracted the horse and somehow you managed to survive?" Rebecca asked Caleb, laughing.

"I may have embellished a little bit, but I do have the scars," Caleb admitted, smiling his award-winning smile.

Rebecca covered her mouth with her hand and turned to Amy. "Is he serious?" she asked her.

Amy grinned at her. "Unfortunately, the life of a rodeo cowboy is not pretty. There are lots of times spent in the hospital." she explained.

"Well, maybe you could show me your scars some time," Rebecca said, turning back to Caleb. Then, she blushed, unable to believe what she'd had just said. She was actually flirting with a guy she barely knew, and when she wasn't even sure how she felt about her ex. But Caleb didn't seem to notice.

"It's a date then," Caleb flashed her another smile, and she was swept away again by his looks and charm. "Just say when, and I'm there."

"Caleb, she's still settling into Hudson, don't scare her away already," Amy warned him, taking a sip of her vanilla milkshake.

"It's okay," Rebecca told her, stirring her straw around her ice water. "I can handle guys like him."

"And what kind of guy do you think I am?" Caleb asked her, leaning forward, his curiosity piqued.

Rebecca half-smiled to herself. "Well, you are this hotshot cowboy, who can wrangle horses with the best of them. You think by just flashing that beautiful smile of yours, that women will come running." Caleb's smile got bigger, he liked what she was saying so far, so Rebecca continued. "That's what you let everyone on the outside see, but inside you just want to find the one special person to spend the rest of your life with. How did I do?"

Something passed over Caleb's face, and for a second Rebecca was afraid she had gone a bit too far. But the next second, it was gone and his smile was back. "You think I have a beautiful smile?" he questioned her. Rebecca smiled back at him, but before she answer him a shadow fell onto the table. She looked up to see who it was.

"Hey, did I miss anything?" Ty asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down, but not before giving Amy a quick kiss on the lips. Rebecca couldn't help but watch them longingly. She knew what it felt like to love someone so much you couldn't stand to be separated from them.

"Oh, Caleb just hitting on your sister, nothing important," Amy informed him.

"Should I be concerned?" Ty asked, turning to Rebecca.

Rebecca shook her head, laughed. "No, I can handle this cowboy," she told him and took a sip of her water.

"I would like that," Caleb responded, still smiling.

Rebecca choked on her water, almost spewing it all over. "Do you ever stop?" she asked Caleb, when she stopped coughing.

"Only when I get what I want," Caleb answered, leaning toward her. Rebecca blushed again, and looked down at her lap. Her hands automatically went to her flat belly and wondered if maybe she should tell Caleb she was pregnant. Despite her jokes, she got the feeling that he wasn't the type of guy to turn away from her just because she was having another guy's baby. But there was a part of her that didn't want this to end. The carefree flirting, the back and forth banter, it would all disappear the moment she mentioned the baby. So, Rebecca decided that, at least for a little while, she would just be a normal girl having a good time with a hot, single cowboy.

"Okay," Ty cleared his throat. "I vote we change the subject away from my sister's personal life."

"I agree," Amy said, nodding.

"Fine by me," Rebecca agreed as well, anything to keep her from thinking of her current problems. She turned to Amy. "So, who's the new horse your brought to Heartland the other day?"

"Oh, that would be Cascade Falls," Amy answered, putting her milkshake back down on the table. "She's a complete mystery, her owner doesn't know what to do with her. One minute she'll be performing beautifully, the next she'll take you for the ride of your life. She's only six years old, so she's still a little green, but something about her just seemed off to me. I'm hoping maybe a change of scenery and a different routine will help."

"Has it?" Rebecca asked, completely interested.

"I'm not sure," Amy admitted, honestly. Ty leaned back in his chair, his arm on the back of Amy's chair, as he watched her carefully. "Cas is so responsive and trusting, she learns very quickly, but she hasn't given me any indication that she could bolt at any moment."

"What have you been doing with her?" Ty asked her.

"Groundwork exercises," Amy answered. "She really seems to enjoy the liberty work I've done with her too. It's almost like she's done it before..." Amy suddenly stopped, an idea suddenly coming to her about the mare.

"What?" Ty and Rebecca asked at the same time. Ty glanced quickly at his sister before returning his gaze to Amy. Even Caleb leaned forward, curious.

"I was just thinking," Amy started to say, still lost in thought. "Hal only bought Cas a year ago, but he's never said what she had done before that. He'd only bought her because she had the look and confirmation of a show-jumper."

"Are thinking she could have some liberty training?" Ty questioned. It was just the two of them in the conversation now, since Rebecca didn't really know everything they were talking about. Rebecca couldn't help but glance at Caleb, who gave her a smile.

"I can't say for certain, but it looks like it," Amy said. "But I would really like to talk to Cas' previous owners."

"Okay, but how about we finish our lunch first before you go all horse-whisperer on us," Ty joked, squeezing her hand as he did.

"Okay," Amy agreed, but the mare and her possible liberty-work past was still in the back of her mind.

When the waitress came back to the table, they all placed their orders. For the rest of the time they were there, the conversation was light and fun, horses and past relationships were far from everyone's minds. Amy and Ty held hands through the entire meal, sometimes drifting into their own private conversation. While Caleb and Rebecca kept stealing secret glances at each other. Rebecca wasn't sure how she felt about the fluttering sensation in the pit of her stomach whenever they looked at each other. It wasn't that she didn't like what was happening between her and Caleb, it was just that things still felt unfinished with Adam. Until that was taken care of, she couldn't really commit herself to another relationship, if that was what she even wanted.

It was a half hour later by the time they paid the bill and left the diner. Rebecca still felt guilty for only contributing two dollars, even though Ty and Amy had said it was fine, but she couldn't help the way she felt. She made a silent promise to pay back them all as soon as she made some money. Rebecca followed behind the other three, putting a smile on her face. As soon as she stepped out into the chilly October day, the hairs at the back of her neck stood on end. Something was wrong. Rebecca spun in a slow circle, searching everywhere for the source of the strange feeling she had. A few people walked fast along the sidewalk to get out of the cold, and an occasional car passed by on the street. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Rebecca, you coming?" Amy called to her.

Rebecca looked toward them and saw that the others had gotten farther way, closer to the trucks. She looked behind her one last time and nodded hesitantly, then more firmly. "Yeah," she said, hurrying over to them.

"Are you okay?" Ty asked her.

"Yeah, of course, why wouldn't I be?" Rebecca assured him. She zipped her jacket up more and crossed her arms against the cold. "Now, come on, let's not stay out in the cold all day."

As the four split up into the two different trucks, a hooded figure stood across the street, slightly in an alley, watched them. He watched the man in the cowboy hat hold open the truck door for the girl with the dark hair. She laughed at something he was saying, and put her hand on his arm. After she slid into the truck, the cowboy closed her door and ran out around to get in on the other side. He ducked around the corner when the trucks pulled out of the diner and passed by him on the road.

When the trucks had passed, he let out a growl and slapped the brick wall next to him, ignoring the stinging pain it caused. He turned back to the street, where the trucks had gone, his hand going to his pocket. His fist curled around the small, long object inside, hurt and anger filled to the core. When he spoke, his voice was calm despite all the emotion roaring inside of him.

"I'm coming, baby."

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><p><strong>AN: **I wonder who that could be?! Sound off in your reviews! I love hearing from you. :)


	13. Adam Strikes Again

**A/N: **I'm a little late, but that still wasn't too long a wait, right? I won't waste any more time, and you can just read the chapter. :)

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

**Adam Strikes Again**

Amy ran a soft brush over Duke's roan coat the next day. She looked over the gelding's back at Ty, who was sitting nearby looking at one of his vet books. Duke has slowly been getting used to his presence after Amy had asked him to help. The gelding was standing with his head low and one of his hind legs cocked. Amy gave the gelding pat and then put the brush back in the grooming box. She looked at Duke in his relaxed position and thought he was ready for the next step. She turned to Ty.

"Ty?" Amy whispered, not wanting to scare Duke with loud voices. Ty looked up at her. "I was going to turn Duke out into the pasture, but I want to make it a little hard for him. Can you stand by the gate, so that he has to walk past you to get to the other horses?"

"Yeah, sure," Ty said, closing the book quietly and putting it aside. When he stood up, Duke became alert and watched him carefully. He didn't try and bolt like he would have a few days ago, but Amy still whispered soothingly to the gelding. When Ty had gone from the barn, Amy clipped a lead line to Duke's halter and unhooked the crossties.

"Ready, Duke?" Amy said to the gelding, stroking in between his eyes. The gelding snorted and swished this tail. Amy led him forward and as soon as they stepped outside the barn, Duke pricked his ears and his body tensed with excitement. A whinny burst from him. Amy smiled, "You want to go see your friends, don't ya?" The gelding tossed his head and they started walking toward the pasture where Ty was waiting.

They were only a few feet away when Duke noticed Ty standing by the gate. He balked, ears pricked and nostrils flaring. Amy talked to him soothingly, letting him relax before she asked for anything more. When he did, Ty slowly unlatched the gate. Gently, Amy asked Duke to move forward. Duke hesitated, then stepped forward one slow step at a time. They were one foot away when the gelding broke into a trot to try and rush past Ty.

"Eh, eh," Amy rebuked him, tugging on the lead line and turning the gelding into a circle. Duke only grew more agitated, tossing his head and even kicking out his hind legs. So, Amy took the gelding farther away from Ty, where he had been comfortable. Duke calmed slightly, but he was still worked up. He eyed Ty warily and his coat started to shine with sweat. Amy reached toward the gelding and started to do t-touch circles on his neck. Duke managed to stand still, but he was still breathing hard. Amy breathed a quiet sigh of relief when the gelding lowered his head.

"You can do this, boy," Amy told the gelding. "I know you can."

When the gelding was ready, Amy asked him to move forward again. Duke was even more hesitant this time, but eventually he started walking. Amy made sure to stand between the gelding and Ty this time, so that maybe it would be easier for the horse. She could feel Duke start to tense up the closer they got to Ty. Amy spoke to the gelding softly and before she knew they were past Ty. She stopped the gelding a few feet away and patted his neck a few times.

"Good boy," Amy praised the gelding. She looked over at Ty, who was grinning big. When Duke was standing calm and quiet, Amy unclipped the lead from his halter. The gelding nudged Amy a little with his nose, and turned his head to look at Ty. Then, he snorted and trotted off to the join the rest of the horses in the pasture.

"Amy, that was amazing!" Ty exclaimed when she had ran back over to him. He gave her a one-arm hug as he closed the gate. "You did it!"

"Well, he's not all the way there yet," Amy said modestly. "He still has to accept your touch, but this is a good start."

They started walking back to the barn, their arms wrapped around each other. A burst of laughter made them both look up toward the front porch of the ranch house. Caleb and Rebecca sat in the chairs, and Caleb had Rebecca's guitar on his lap. Rebecca was leaning over to show him a chord, unsuccessfully by the sound of it. Rebecca laughed harder at the outrageous tune that came from the guitar.

"They've seem to have hit it off," Amy commented.

"Yeah," Ty replied, staring at the other two.

Amy looked over at him. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"It's just that," Ty stopped, unsure if he should voice his thoughts, then continued. "I think Rebecca is trying to avoid dealing with the whole Adam thing. Caleb doesn't know she's pregnant and I don't think she's going to tell him anytime soon. I'm worried about her."

"Ty, she's been through a lot recently," Amy explained to him, trying to put herself in Rebecca's shoes. "She probably just needs a little time to settle in. Once she clears her head, she'll deal with Adam."

"I hope you're right," Ty sighed.

"Hey," Amy said, stopping and turning to face him. She slid her arms around Ty's waist. "I was going to work with Cas next, do you want to help me? Her previous owner sent me a DVD of some of her liberty training. I have to admit, for being so young at the time, it was amazing just watching her. There was actually a part in the routine that matched exactly what she did at Hal's the other day."

"That sounds great, but," Ty replied, wrapping his own arms around her. "Unfortunately, I can't. I really have to study for this test, it's in a few days and I only know about half the material. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Amy told him, leaning towards him. "Make it up to me?"

Ty smiled and met her halfway, his lips touching hers. Amy moaned into the kiss, her lips moving against his as her hands moved up his back. He held her close to him and Amy never wanted to leave the warmth and security of his arms.

"Ew, if you're going to do that, can you at least go someplace private?"

Amy and Ty broke a part when they heard the eleven-year-old's voice. Georgie was walking toward them with a disgusted look on her face. They couldn't help but laugh as they disentangled themselves from each other, but they still stayed within touching distance. Georgie stopped her march to the barn and stared at them.

"What?" Georgie asked, a little annoyed. "If this is some secret lover's thing, then I don't think I ever want to fall in love."

"Never mind," Amy said, stifling her laughter. "I was going to work with Cas now, do you want to help me?"

Georgie's face brightened as she nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, of course!" she exclaimed.

"Okay," Amy replied. "How about you go bring Cas in from the field and I'll meet you in the barn."

With a big smile on her face, Georgie raced off to the pasture. "Are you sure you don't want stay?" she asked Ty one last time.

"It's not that I don't want to, I can't," Ty told her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Alright," Amy sighed. She started to lean in for another kiss, when Ty looked up past her, his eyes narrowed.

"Where did Becky and Caleb go?" he asked and started walking toward the ranch house.

When Amy looked, the porch was empty. She quickly grabbed Ty's arm before he could storm into the house and embarrass himself. "They're probably just getting something to eat." Amy assured him. "Trust me, I don't think Rebecca is ready for anything other than friendship at this point."

"You're probably right," Ty agreed, but his eyes were still on the house and the empty porch.

Amy gave his arm another tug. "Ty, your test," she reminded him.

Ty finally broke his gaze from the house and looked at her. "Right," he said, and gave her another quick kiss. "I'll see you later."

Amy watched as Ty climbed into his truck and started the engine. He gave her a wave, for which she returned, as he backed the truck and drove up the driveway. Amy missed him already and he hadn't even been gone for five minutes. His touch still lingered on her skin, and she smiled secretly to herself. Hoofbeats behind her brought back to the real world and she turned around to see Georgie leaving the pasture with Cascade Falls.

"Amy, she is so friendly," Georgie gushed, stopping the mare in front of Amy and rubbing her neck. "She just walked right up to me in the field, like Phoenix does. It's amazing, she just got here and she already likes us."

"Yeah, she trusts easily," Amy commented. "Take her to the riding ring instead, I'm going to go get her bridle. I'll be right there."

"Alright," Georgie said, and clucked to the mare to get her walking again. Amy hurried into the barn and grabbed Cas' bridle. When she came to the riding ring, she found Cas standing quietly next to the mounting block and Georgie standing on top of it, prepared to mount the mare.

"Georgie, what are you doing?" Amy asked, climbing over the fence into the arena. Georgie looked at her like she'd just been caught red-handed and then looked down at her boots.

"I just wanted to see what she would be like to ride," Georgie muttered as she stepped down off the mounting block.

"Well, if anyone is going to ride her first, it's going to me," Amy said, walking over to the pair. "Just in case she has any vices." Georgie stayed quiet as Amy removed Cas' halter and put on the bridle. The gray mare flicked her ears back and forth and mouthed the bit. For being so young, she stood quietly, but Amy saw quivers of excitement rippling through her skin.

"Can I ride her when you're done?" Georgie asked suddenly.

"We'll see," Amy answered, not taking her eyes off the mare. "But you'll have to be quiet while I work."

"Okay," Georgie said, and Amy heard her move away to stand by the fence. Amy swung up onto the 16.2 mare with ease and gathered up the reins. Cas immediately collected herself and walked off with the slightest touch of Amy's calves. After walking and trotting the mare in circles and figure eights to warm up and get the feel of her, Amy asked for the canter. Cas leaped forward into a controlled canter and Amy could feel the mare's anxiousness. She knew what was coming next. So far, the mare was proving her theory. Slowly, Amy eased out the reins, giving the mare her head. Cas knew exactly what to do. She broke into a fast gallop; her ears pricked forward and her gray mane flying in Amy's face. It was exactly like the day Amy had first seen her.

Amy let the reins rest on Cas' neck and spread her arms out to the side. The mare's stride was nice and smooth, so it was easy for Amy to sit to. Then, Cas began to slow, without any encouraging from Amy, to a trot and then a walk. Thus, still proving Amy's theory. Using her legs, Amy guided Cas over to the fence and stopped her. Georgie looked as exhilarated as Amy felt; her eyes were bright with excitement and and her smile was big.

"Amy, that was amazing!" Georgie gushed, coming over to stroke Cas' face. The mare put her head down and nuzzled the younger girl. Georgie laughed, and looked up at Amy. "When is it my turn?"

"Hold on a minute," Amy laughed at her enthusiasm. "It may have looked great, but she's still young. She was only four when her old owners taught her liberty work and they only taught her the basics. What you just saw was the same exact workout she had done then."

"Wow, that's amazing that she remembers it from a long time ago," Georgie said.

"Yeah, but it's not so good for her new owners who are trying to train her as a show-jumper," Amy replied, watching the mare snuffle Georgie's hands.

"Well maybe, Cas isn't a show-jumper," Georgie stated matter-of-factly. "Maybe she's liberty horse instead."

Amy smiled at the twelve-year-old's boldness. "Do you want to ride this horse or not?" Amy asked her.

Georgie nodded vigorously. "Yes!" she exclaimed hurrying over to stand next to Amy.

For the next fifteen minutes, Amy taught Georgie the basics of bareback riding. Of course, the younger girl had incredible balance and soon she was cantering around the ring. Cas was patient with her, not getting upset if Georgie made a mistake. The gray mare was completely in her element and Amy was starting to think that maybe she wasn't meant to be a show-jumper.

"As you go around the corners, use slightly more pressure with your outside leg, and less rein!" Amy called to her. "When you're ready, you can slowly let go of your reins!"

Almost immediately, Georgie dropped her reins and spread her arms out to the side. She laughed out loud, her face lighting with pure joy. After two more circuits around the ring, Amy told her to pick up her reins and slow Cas down. When Georgie walked Cas over to her, her face was flushed from exhilaration. She kept patting the mare's neck and telling her how good she is.

"Amy, that was incredible," Georgie said, when she finally looked up at her. "It was almost better than jumping Phoenix."

Amy laughed. "C'mon, let's get Cas cooled out." Amy said. Georgie hopped off the gray mare and Amy exchanged Cas' bridle for the halter. They led the mare to the barn to brush her out. "Go get two brushes." Amy told Georgie as she led Cas into a stall.

"So, what are you going to do with her?" Georgie asked as she picked up two brushes and walked back over to her. She handed a brush to Amy.

"I think I'm going to talk to Hal," Amy answered, running the brush over Cas' body. Georgie moved to the mare's other side and starting brushing as well. "Maybe he'll understand Cas isn't meant to be a show-jumper."

"Well, I hope it works out for Cas," Georgie said. Then she seemed to get an idea and peeked underneath the mare's neck at Amy. "Hey, if Hal doesn't want her anymore, can we keep her?"

Amy smiled and shook her head. Though, she didn't blame the younger girl. A few years ago, Amy would have wanted to keep Cas for herself, she would have done anything for a horse that talented. But she knew now that not every horse belonged permanently at Heartland. Georgie would have to learn that soon, but for now Amy would let her dream. Suddenly, there was scuffing sound on the concrete outside the stall and Cas swiveled her head around to stare out the barn. A shadow had also fallen in the barn entrance. Amy moved out of the stall to see who it was.

At first, Amy couldn't tell who it was, the sun blocked out his face. She could tell that he was tall and well-muscled, but something about the way he was standing unnerved Amy a little. She took a few cautious steps forward and stopped. "Can I help you?" she asked.

The guy stepped further into the barn, and his face became clearer. Amy's breath hitched in her throat. "Adam," she breathed.

"Amy, why did you leave like that?" Georgie was asking as she came out of the stall and locked the door behind her. She stopped when she the new person in the barn. "Who is that?"

"Where is she?" Adam spoke, his voice low and menacing.

Amy swallowed hard and grabbed Georgie by her sweatshirt. "Um...she's not here right now," she lied and started pushing Georgie toward the barn door. All she could think of was getting Georgie and herself away from Adam. He put his arm out, blocking their escape. "Liar!" Adam shouted, pushing Amy up against a stall, his arm across her chest. "Tell me where Rebecca is now!" His breath reeked of alcohol and Amy had to turn her head to escape the smell.

"Hey, let her go!" Georgie exclaimed and before Amy could tell her not to, Georgie ran up and kicked Adam in the leg. Adam didn't even falter, he turned and backhanded Georgie across her face, sending her sprawling to the barn floor.

"Georgie!" Amy exclaimed, but before she could go to the fallen girl, Adam slammed her back against the stall. Her head cracked against the bars, and stars swarm before her vision. She blinked once, twice, and her vision cleared.

"Where is she?!" Adam screamed, he sounded more desperate this time. Amy could only muster a whimper because Adam's hand was now around her throat, his fingers pressing hard into her skin. She heard boots scuffing on the concrete and tried to spot where Georgie was. Maybe if she could somehow communicate to Georgie to go get help? As she was deep in thought, Amy thought she heard running footsteps. She started to think she was hearing things until she heard Caleb's voice.

"What's going on in here?"

At the same time, Rebecca gasped, "Adam."

Adam immediately let go of Amy and she slumped against the stall, her hand going to her throat. "Becky," he said and started walking over to her. Rebecca held up her hand, telling him to stop. Caleb, too, blocked his path to her. Adam didn't like that; his eyes flashed with anger. Adam launched a punch at Caleb, who returned it twofold. The two started grappling with each other until Adam grabbed a pitchfork and aimed at Caleb like he was going to skewer him with it. Caleb stopped, holding up his hands in surrender. Amy stood up straighter, able to breathe regularly now.

"Adam, what are you doing here?" Rebecca asked him, striding toward him.

"I found this," Adam answered, reaching into his pocket and throwing something at Rebecca. Rebecca looked down at the object at her feet and drew a sharp intake of breath. It was her pregnancy test; she could just make out the little faded plus sign.

"Adam, I—I-" Rebecca stumbled over her words, not sure how to make this better. "I was going to tell you."

"When?" Adam questioned her. "When the baby was a year old and you came crawling back to me for some money?" Rebecca was flabbergasted; Adam had never spoken to her like that before, never treated her like she was scum before. It brought tears to her eyes just thinking how far the alcohol had taken him away from her.

"Don't speak to her like that," Caleb warned him, stepping forward.

"You stay out of this!" Adam yelled at Caleb, jabbing the pitchfork at him. "This has nothing to do with you. This is about me and Becky."

"No, it's not," Rebecca said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Not anymore. This is my baby, Adam, and I get to decide who is in its' life." She took a shuddering breath before she continued. "And if you keep drinking like this, then I don't want you in the baby's life."

"You can't keep me away from my child," Adam argued, advancing toward her. Rebecca braced herself for him to grab her, but he kept his hands to himself.

"I can, and I will," Rebecca told him. "Even if I have to get a restraining order."

Adam looked at her in shock and then looked around at Caleb, Amy, and Georgie. He gave a short laugh. "Becky, don't you see what they're doing?" Adam questioned her. Nobody knew exactly what he was getting at. "They're trying to turn you against me, make you think I'm no good, an unfit father. Becky, don't listen to them. Just come home with me and we can go back to the way it was. We can be a family." Adam took Rebecca's hand and pulled her to him.

"Get your hands off of her," Caleb said, unable to stay quiet any longer. He approached them and shoved Adam backward. Adam reacted immediately, lunging toward Caleb with pitchfork. The prongs hit Caleb in the stomach, making him stumble back into the wall. Amy didn't think it was bad until Caleb touched his hand to his stomach and came away with blood.

"Adam!" Rebecca exclaimed. She grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away. "It's time for you to leave."

While Adam was distracted, Amy pulled out her cell phone to call the police. However, in her panic, her fingers shook over the numbers and then her phone slipped from her hand. It landed on the ground with a clatter. Adam spun around to stare at her, then glanced down at the fallen phone, and then back at her. He stomped over to her.

"You," Adam growled. He picked up the phone. "Trying to call your boyfriend to come and save the day? Sorry, no one's coming to your rescue." Adam clicked the phone off and threw it aside. Amy gulped, fear making her unable to move even though everything inside her told her to run. "That boyfriend of yours really needs to learn when to butt out. I guess I'll have to be the one to teach him a lesson."

In one fluid motion, Adam flipped the pitchfork and swung the pole end at her. The pole connected to Amy's temple with a sickening crunch and she felt herself falling. The concrete felt hard and cool against her cheek and she felt something wet and sticky running down the side of her face. The last thing she saw were Adam's retreating footsteps, there was a scream, and then the darkness took her.

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><p><strong>AN:** I know, that was a huge cliffhanger. So, review if you would like to find out what happens next. :)


	14. Say Something

**A/N:** Hey guys, these weekly updates are becoming more easy to do. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited/ followed this story. This chapter is for you. I'm sorry, I left you off with a BIG cliffie last chapter, so I tried to hurry and get this chapter up. The song lyrics are Say Something by A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera. Enjoy!

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

**Say Something**

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

Rebecca sat on a hale bale inside the barn, her head in her hands. The police bustled around her, collecting evidence and making a bigger mess than there already was. She didn't notice any of it though; she was still mulling over the events that had happened in the minutes after Amy had fallen. After Adam had attacked Amy, Caleb had tackled him from behind and was able to restrain him. While Georgie called the police and an ambulance, Rebecca had only been able to stand back and watch horrified. Rebecca couldn't get the desperate look Adam had given her as the police led him away in handcuffs out of her mind.

**And I,**

**Will swallow my pride**

**You're the one that I love**

**And I'm saying goodbye**

_The metal click of the handcuffs reverberated through Rebecca's body like a drum. She looked at Adam, who was kneeling on the barn floor. His blonde hair was messed up and the left side of his face was scratched up from when Caleb had pressed it to the concrete. The police officer yanked him to his feet and that was when his eyes met hers. He looked lost and scared almost like the little boy she had first met in kindergarten._

"_Becky!" Adam called to her as the officer started pushing him out the barn. "Becky, please, tell them I didn't mean it! It was an accident. Becky, you know me, it was an accident! Please! Becky!"_

_A lone tear slid down Rebecca's cheek as she stood there and said nothing as the officer led Adam away. He cast one last pleading, desperate look at her and then, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Adam got into the police car without another glance at her._

**Say something, I'm giving up on you**

**And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you**

**And anywhere, I would have followed you**

**Say something, I'm giving up on you**

"This is all your fault, you know."

Startled out of her thoughts, Rebecca looked up and saw Georgie standing by the barn entrance. She had probably just finished giving giving her statement to the police. Rebecca had seen the girl go into the ranch house just as she was leaving. She had wanted to be alone after being subjected to the police interrogation and to just let everything sink in. Looking at the eleven-year-old now, the younger girl did not look happy. She crossed her arms and walked over to her horse Phoenix.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rebecca said, brushing the last of her tears from her eyes. She pulled the rubber band from her hair and shook her hair out.

Georgie spun on her heel, fixating her with an icy glare. "Yes, you do!" Georgie snapped at her. She lowered her voice when a few police officers turned to look at her. "It's your fault Amy is in the hospital right now. If it weren't for you and your stupid boyfriend, then none of this would have happened. And Amy wouldn't be almost dying." Her voice cracked at the end, and she turned around so that Rebecca wouldn't see her tears.

"Georgie, I had no idea Adam would do this," Rebecca said, standing up and walking over to the younger girl. "I swear, when I came here I didn't even know where he was. If I had known he was drinking, then I would have..." Rebecca trailed off, not sure of what she was saying. What would she had done if she had stayed in Calgary a few more days? Or maybe, if she had just paid attention, she would have known something was wrong with Adam before he had disappeared. Rebecca shook her head, it would do no good to look back. The past was history, you could only control what happens next.

Georgie wiped her sleeve across her eyes and turned back around to face Rebecca. "There is something you can do," she replied. "You can leave."

"I don't understand," Rebecca said, taking a step back.

"Sure you do," Georgie stated, an edge to her voice. "Adam keeps coming back because of you. If you leave, then he can't hurt anymore people that I love. If you don't care about anybody else here, at least think of Ty. Do you really want your brother to hurt more than he already is?"

Rebecca took a few more steps backward, thinking. Was Georgie right? Is she the real reason Amy and Caleb are in the hospital right now? She may not have lifted the pitchfork that hurt them both, but she had unintentionally led Adam to Heartland.

_I'll be the one if you want me to_

"If you leave," Georgie continued. "It will be the best thing for everyone."

"That's enough, Georgie," Lou said. They both turned to see Lou coming into the barn. She looked tired and her eyes were red. Rebecca hoped there was at least some good news from the hospital. If it wasn't, then Lou probably wouldn't be here right now, right?

"Lou!" Georgie gasped and ran to her, throwing her arms around her. Lou held her adoptive daughter tight. "How's Amy?" Her voice was muffled from Lou's jacket.

Rebecca didn't miss the look Lou gave her right before she answered and Rebecca's heart thumped loud in her chest. "The doctor was getting ready to take her into surgery," Lou explained. "He said that it could take awhile, so I decided to come home and see how everything was going here. Grandpa and Ty are still at the hospital."

Surgery, that meant there was something really wrong with Amy. But she was alive, so that was good, for now at least. Rebecca shook her head; Amy was going to be fine and it wasn't her fault. She just couldn't get Georgie's words out of her head. Georgie finally pulled away from Lou, who smiled at her and stroked her hair.

"How's Caleb?" Rebecca found herself asking.

"Fine, it was just a flesh wound. Nothing important was hit," Lou answered. "He was signing the release papers when I was leaving."

Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief and she caught Georgie glaring at her again. Lou looked between the two, wondering exactly what had happened before she had come in. "Georgie, can you go in the house and tell Peter I'm back?" Lou asked her adoptive daughter. Prying her eyes off of Rebecca, Georgie nodded and ran out of the barn.

"I'm sorry if she may have said anything that hurt you," Lou apologized for Georgie's behavior. Rebecca shook her and started to interrupt, but Lou held up her hand and continued. "Georgie is impulsive and she sometimes says things without thinking. She's hurting and she's lashing out, don't take anything she says too seriously, okay?"

Rebecca nodded, though she thought Georgie sounded pretty rational. "Hey, are going back to the hospital by any chance?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah," Lou nodded. "After dinner, I was going to bring some food for grandpa and Ty. Why?"

"Well, I was hoping, maybe, I could come with you?" Rebecca asked her cautiously. "I get that it's a family thing, and I probably shouldn't butt in. It's just that I'm going stir crazy here and I need to do something."

"Yeah, sure, I'll be glad for the company," Lou smiled at her. She turned to leave and gestured for Rebecca to follow. "C'mon, let's get something to eat."

Rebecca followed, mimicking Lou's smile, but not really feeling it. A low rumble came from above and both Lou and Rebecca looked up at the sky. Storm clouds hovered above the ranch, some ranging from dark gray to black. If Rebecca was superstitious, she would have paid it more attention, but she and Lou just ducked their heads and ran for the house when the rain started pouring down.

_Anywhere I would have followed you_

**X/X/X**

Ty sat in the waiting room of the hospital, awaiting the outcome of Amy's surgery. He took turns drumming his fingers on his knees and staring up at the clock on the wall. They had only taken her into the O.R five minutes ago and he already didn't know what to do with himself. Ty looked over at Jack, who was slumped in his chair with his hat over his eyes. He didn't know if he was really sleeping or if he just didn't want to talk to anyone. Unable to sit still any longer, Ty got and started walking. He didn't know where he was going, he was just walking, not really seeing the hallways he was walking down.

_And I am feeling so small_

_It was over my head_

_I know nothing at all_

When he finally looked up, Ty had no idea where he was. It was a quiet hallway; not a lot of people came back here. It looked like mostly private rooms and one or two supply closets. A nurse in black scrubs came out of a room and smiled at him as she walked past him. Ty waited until the nurse had turned the corner, and then he couldn't hold it in anymore. He punched the wall next to him, out of anger and frustration. The pain was like a firecracker blooming out of his knuckles and throughout his hand. He didn't mind it though, in fact he welcomed it. He was tired of the numb feeling that had filled him ever since he heard what had happened, he needed to feel something.

_And I will stumble and fall_

_I'm still learning to love_

_Just starting to crawl_

When nobody came to investigate the noise, Ty slid to the floor, feeling completely drained. He didn't understand why this was happening. He and Amy were just beginning to move forward with their relationship; they made plans. Ty wasn't going to give up on those plans, no matter how long it took. Amy was going to get better, and they were going to get married. Feeling a bit better, Ty stood up and made his way back to the waiting room.

It wasn't until an hour after Ty had gotten back to the waiting room that the doctor showed up to talk with them. Ty nudged Jack awake, turns out he had dozed off for a bit. The doctor was an older gentleman with graying hair and glasses. He still wore his surgical scrubs and Ty tried not look at the specks of blood on the hem of his shirt. Ty told himself it wasn't Amy's blood, but his heart hammered inside his chest as the doctor sat down in a chair across from them. He tried to be patient with the doctor, but it was running thin.

"How's Amy?" he blurted out.

"She'd suffered a major blow to the head when she came in," the doctor said. "She was also hemorrhaging and that was putting pressure on the brain. If she hadn't come in when she did, she would have died." Ty sucked in a breath. "We were able to stop the bleeding, but Amy's blood pressure rose too high, we feared her heart would stop. But we managed to stabilize her and finish the surgery without anymore complications."

Ty took a deep breath, taking it all in. Amy almost died, twice.

"Can we see her?" Jack asked the question that Ty wanted to, but couldn't form the words to.

The doctor hesitated, and the nodded. "She's still unconscious, though," the doctor told them. "If you have any other questions, the nurses at the desk can page me, I'm Dr. Kent." After telling them how to find Amy's room, Dr. Kent left with a small smile.

"You go in first," Jack told him.

"Are you sure?" Ty asked, and Jack nodded. With a deep breath, Ty stood up and followed the doctor's instructions to Amy's room. He braced himself for what he would find in there, with each step forward fear clutched his heart in a tighter grip. He almost balked in front of the door, not wanting to see her that way, but in the end he went in.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

_I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you_

_Anywhere, I would've followed you_

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

Amy lay propped up on the hospital bed with tubes and wires attached to her and the machines mechanically beeping next to her. There was also a bandage wrapped around her head. She looked so pale and fragile lying, that Ty wanted to believe she was just sleeping. But he knew she wasn't. He stood where he was for about five minutes, unable to move any closer. It wasn't until he saw one of Amy's fingers move that he moved to her bedside. Ty sat down on the stool near the bed and took her surprisingly warm hand in his.

"Amy, I know you can hear me," Ty whispered, leaning toward Amy. "Please, you have to open your eyes. Let me know you're okay." Ty waited a couple of minutes, watching Amy's face for any sign that she might be waking up. Nothing. He exhaled and hung his head. Bringing their linked hands to his mouth, he kissed the back of her hand.

"I know you're probably hurt and scared," Ty continued, sniffing away tears before they could fall. "But I promise you, everything is okay now. I'm here now, you're safe. Nobody is going to hurt you." He looked up at Amy's face again, but it remained the same. Eyes closed, muscles slacked, she looked peaceful.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you_

Ty was vaguely aware of footsteps echoing down the corridor outside the room, he didn't pay it any attention. It was probably just a doctor or nurse going about their rounds. He was running his thumb in circles along Amy's hand when the footsteps stopped abruptly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow in the doorway. He didn't looked to see who it was though, he just kept his eyes on Amy.

"Ty?"

Ty couldn't help to glance behind when he heard her voice. Rebecca stood in the doorway, a brown paper bag clutched in her hand. Her brown hair hung loose around her face and there was just a slight hint of a baby bump under her jacket. He turned back to Amy, his hand tightening on hers.

"You shouldn't be here," was all he said.

_Say something._

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><p><strong>AN: **What do you think? Please tell me your thoughts in a review. :)


	15. He Needs Help

**A/N: **I'm sorry this chapter is a little late, but I got it up as soon as I could.

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

**He Needs Help**

"You shouldn't be here," Ty said, not taking his eyes off of Amy. His voice was low like it had taken all his energy just to say those four words. Rebecca wasn't sure what he meant by that, so she stepped cautiously into the hospital room.

"I wanted to see how Amy was doing," Rebecca explained. She held out the brown paper bag to Ty. "And I brought you some dinner. It's just a sandwich, nothing special, but I bet anything is better than the food they're serving in the caf-"

"I'm not hungry," Ty interrupted her, his elbows on Amy's hospital bed and his forehead touching her hand that he held in both of his. "And you've seen how she is, so you can go now."

"You should really eat something," Rebecca said coming closer and placing the bag with the sandwich on a nearby table. "You're going to be no good to Amy if you pass out right here."

"I said I'm fine, Rebecca," Ty replied through clenched teeth. "Can you please just leave?"

"Ty, I don't understand," Rebecca said, confused. "I'm only trying to help..."

Suddenly, Ty stood up like a bolt of lightning, the stool he'd been sitting in went sliding across the room, to crash into the opposite wall. "Rebecca you need to leave, now," Ty warned her. "Before I say something I regret."

"Ty, I didn't bring Adam to Heartland," Rebecca told him, defensively. "I left my home in Calgary, thinking it was over between the two of us. I wanted to start over, have a fresh start." She gestured to Amy lying in the hospital bed. "I never thought anything like this would happen."

"Exactly you didn't think," Ty said sharply. "I told you we needed to go to the cops when Adam first attacked you, but you didn't want to hear it. You thought—you still think he can be saved, when the truth is he can't. You think that Adam will just wake up one day and realize everything that he's done, but it doesn't work that way. Well, I'm done sticking up for you, Rebecca, that's all I've done since you've gotten here and now look where it's gotten me." He turned back to Amy. "I'm done, Rebecca."

"Adam's been arrested,Ty," Rebecca replied, grabbing Ty's arm, forcing him to look at her. He did, with a cold stare. "What else do you want me to do?"

"Nothing," Ty said simply. He shrugged her hand off his arm and kneeled down by Amy's bedside. Rebecca stood there for a minute in shock, then, holding back tears, she ran out of the room. She stopped a few feet down the hallway, letting out a huge gasping sob. Rebecca leaned against the wall, covering her face with her hands, trying to catch her breath. Only two tears trickled down her face though. After she had calmed down and cleared her face, Rebecca continued down the hallway, skirting the main waiting area. She wasn't ready to face everybody just yet, she just needed to be on her own for a little bit.

Meanwhile, back in the hospital room, Ty had his hand over his eyes. The shock over what had just happened was wearing off and guilt was weighing over. He didn't know why he did what he did, he hadn't been angry at Rebecca before. It was just when Ty had turned to look at her, he had seen Adam whacking Amy over the head with a pitchfork. He'd acted as if he blamed Rebecca for what happened, but he didn't, did he? It was true that Adam had followed Rebecca to Heartland, and she really should have reported him to the police after the first incident, but that didn't make this her fault. Adam was the one drinking, nobody else is responsible but him. Ty was just thinking that he should go after Rebecca to apologize, when Amy's hand tightened around his. Then came the softest whisper he'd ever heard.

"Ty?"

Ty's heart pumped faster and his breath caught in his throat as he looked up. Amy's bright blue eyes stared back at him. It was like his world started spinning again, he no longer felt lost. His reason for living was alright and staring back him. Ty smiled at her, sniffing away his tears.

"Amy."

**X/X/X**

Rebecca had planned to go back to the dude ranch, she just needed to be alone and she didn't feel like talking to Peter or Georgie, who were both at Heartland. She already had enough confrontations for one day. Except, that changed when the bus stopped in the middle of Hudson, by the police station. She stared at the brick building for a few minutes, debating whether she should or not. The bus doors were just started to close when she jumped up and managed to squeeze outside before the doors shut completely. Rebecca watched the bus pull away and then stared up at the brick exterior of the police station.

_What am I doing?_ Rebecca asked herself as she stepped up the concrete steps, her hand gripping the metal handrail. At the top, she stopped, her hand going to her small bump of a belly. She owed it to her baby to at least try to help Adam. Even if she could just talk to him, make him see he has something to fight for. Taking a deep breath, Rebecca walked up to the door and pushed it open.

Inside bustled with activity. Officers brushed past her going one way or another. The tapping of keyboards and shuffling of paper were the only sounds echoing throughout the place. Rebecca tried to get the attention of a few officers who walked by her, but they all acted as if they didn't even see her. Finally, after a few minutes, a detective spotted her and walked over.

"Can I help you?" he asked her. His hair was shaved close to his scalp and his blue eyes were so bright and piercing. He carried a manila folder, that she suspected was a case he was working on.

"Um, I was hoping I could see somebody, who was just arrested?" Rebecca asked carefully,

"That depends," the detective said, shifting his stance. "What's his name?"

"Adam Kingsley," Rebecca replied.

"I'm sorry," the detective started to say and Rebecca's hopes fell. "He's not permitted visitors for at least twenty-four hours, standard procedure."

"I understand," Rebecca said, then her hand found her belly. "It's just that he's...my..." She didn't know how to finish that sentence, but she didn't have to. A look of understanding passed over the detective's face.

"I can only let you see him for five minutes," the detective said surprisingly. "I'm Detective Nicholas Bates, by the way."

"Rebecca," she shook the detective's outstretched hand. He smiled at her and gestured for her to follow him.

He led her down a hallway that was just off the main room. Their footsteps echoed off of the linoleum and Rebecca could feel her palms get sweaty and her throat became dry when they turned the corner and came to the cell block. She kept wondering how Adam would be when she saw him, now that he's had a few hours to calm down and get sober. Would he be angry at her, or sad? Would he even want to see her? Rebecca wouldn't blame him if he didn't. She had just stood by and done nothing while he was arrested.

Detective Bates exchanged a few words with the guard on duty, who kept glancing at Rebecca curiously. Then, the guard unlocked the outer cell door and motioned Rebecca to go ahead. "Second cell on the right," he told her in a gruff voice.

Rebecca approached the second cell on the right slowly. Adam was lying down on the cot at the back of the cell, staring up at the ceiling. He didn't seem to hear her approach, or he did and he was ignoring her. He wore only a t-shirt and jeans, the police had confiscated his jacket and even his shoelaces on his boots. Rebecca stepped up close to the iron bars separated her from Adam, trying to think of something to say.

"Adam?" she finally said.

"Go away," Adam replied, his voice hoarse. He didn't even look at her. Rebecca's heart sank. She hated the thought that he was angry and thinking she didn't love him anymore.

"Adam, I'm sorry," Rebecca apologized, hoping it would work. "I didn't know what to do. You'd just attacked two innocent people, something I never thought you were capable of. I was still trying to wrap my head around everything. I didn't—-" She stopped when she saw Adam looking at her. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the cot.

"I should be the one apologizing, not you," Adam said so quietly, Rebecca almost didn't hear him. "You deserve so much better, Becky. I can't seem to do anything right anymore. No matter what I do, I just make things worse."

"Adam, that's not true," Rebecca protested.

"Yes, it is!" Adam exclaimed. "Everything I've done has hurt someone. I'm just like my father, maybe even worse."

"Adam, don't say that," Rebecca told him. "You are nothing like Brett. You are a good, kind person, who cares and loves so deeply. There is no comparison, you-"

"Like I cared for and loved you?" Adam interrupted her. "With the exception of that girl I hit, I've hurt you the most. I don't deserve you or...our baby."

"Adam, come here," Rebecca said. Adam just sat there, his head in his hands. "Adam."

With a sigh, Adam got up and walked to her, stopping a foot away from the bars. Rebecca reached through and grabbed his hand before he could move away. She pulled him closer and placed his hand on her belly. Adam protested, trying to pull his hand away, but Rebecca covered his hand with both of hers, trapping it against her.

"It's too soon to feel anything, but I just wanted to..." Rebecca trailed off. "Adam, this is our baby. We created this new life and we are responsible for it. I know the guy I fell in love is still inside you somewhere and I also know you can find him. We need you, Adam."

Adam shook his head as he finally met her eyes. "I can't, Becky," he whispered. "You don't know, but I got laid off from my job. I didn't—couldn't tell you, because we were already struggling to make the rent and the bills. We were both going to University and trying to get our music heard. I didn't want to have to tell you that we might lose everything."

"Adam, I still had my job, you could have found another," Rebecca said, shocked and confused at what he just told her.

"I tried, Becky!" Adam replied, pulling his hand away. He was getting upset again. "Nobody was hiring. So, one day, I went to a bar just to try and get my mind off of things. Next thing I knew, I was spending every afternoon there. I knew I had a problem, but I couldn't stop. The nights were the worst."

"The nightmares," Rebecca whispered, something clicking in her brain. She remembered Adam waking up in the middle of the night a couple nights in a row distraught.

Adam nodded. "I dreamt of him, my father. He would tell me I was just like him, that I would never do anything right, that I would eventually lose you." he said, looking down at the floor. "He was right."

"You have not lost me," Rebecca told him forcefully. "Not unless you starting fighting this, Adam. I know, you're better than this. You can beat this, you just have to want it enough."

Adam was silent for a long while, and Rebecca was afraid he had withdrawn in himself. The creak of the outer cell door startled her. The guard called to her, telling her time was up. Rebecca stared at Adam for a long second, wishing he would at least look at her. When he didn't, she turned and started walking back to the guard.

"Becky?" Rebecca stopped and turned at the sound of Adam's voice. He was looking at her now, his dark eyes full of longing and regret. "I want to."

**X/X/X**

Amy leaned back against the hospital pillows, her eyelids feeling suddenly heavy. Her family had just left, wanting to give her some time to rest. She tried to cover a yawn, but Ty saw her on his way back into the room. His brow creased with worry, not wanting to keep her up. Amy reached her hand out and Ty grasped it, his fingers entangling with hers.

"Maybe I should leave too," Ty said, even though he really didn't want to leave her side. "You should really get some sleep."

"I could say the same thing about you," Amy replied, pulling him onto the bed with her. "I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to leave either," Ty confessed, looking down at the bed sheets. "I was so scared, Amy. I thought I was going to lose you."

"Hey," Amy said, giving his hand a tug, so that he would look at her. When he did, she whispered, "Stay with me."

Ty hesitated, then moved to lie next to her on the narrow, hospital bed. He wrapped his arms around her as she cuddled close to him. Ty rested his chin on the top of her head, breathing in the familiar scent of her. Amy was well and safe in his arms, he had no worries, well none at the current moment. Lying there, Ty could feel his body finally relaxing for the first time in hours and his eyelids grew heavy with sleep. He would close his eyes for just a minute.

"So, I heard a little bit of your conversation with Rebecca," At the sound of Amy's voice, Ty's eyes snapped and he jolted a little, startled. Amy laughed. "Sorry, I didn't know you were sleeping."

"I wasn't sleeping," Ty said, looking down at her.

Amy gazed up at him, with a smirk on her face. "Okay," There was a moment's pause, and then she said, "So, what I heard wasn't true, was it? You don't really blame Rebecca for what happened, do you?"

Ty sighed. "I don't know," He ran a hand down his face. "I know it's not her fault. I was just scared and angry and when I saw her, I could help it. I thought that maybe if she never came to Heartland, Adam would never have had a chance to hurt you. Then, I think that if she never came, Rebecca would be the one in the hospital and I wouldn't even know. I was going to apologize to her once I knew you were going to be okay. I just hope it's not too late."

"It's not," Amy told him. She reached up and touched his face. "She knows that you were only upset and didn't mean what you said. She'll forgive you."

"I hope so," Ty admitted. He smiled down at Amy and leaned to kiss her softly on the lips. When Amy pressed herself against him and kissed him back even harder, Ty pulled back. "Slow down, you're supposed to be resting."

"I am resting," Amy whispered seductively into his ear.

"That's not what I meant," Ty said, laughing.

"Oh, alright," Amy groaned playfully. She settled back against the pillows and Ty pulled her close again. Neither one of them said anything else as they lay entwined on the bed. After a few minutes, Amy's breathing slowed down as she fell asleep. Ty smiled and kissed her temple, his face lingering in her hair for a minute. He knew he should go home to get some rest while Amy was sleeping, but he couldn't make himself disturb Amy. He also didn't _want_ to get up. Ty suppressed a yawn, but his eyes were getting heavy again. Before he knew it, sleep had him in its' clutches just as he had Amy in his arms.

**X/X/X**

"I don't know, Rebecca," Jack said, after Rebecca had finished telling everybody about Adam. Peter, Lou, Caleb, and Jack sat around the living room, staring at her. Georgie had stormed off to the barn as soon as Rebecca had walked in. "What you're asking us to do-"

"Is not a lot, not really," Rebecca interrupted him. "All you have to do is drop the charges against Adam, that's all. I'll get him into a rehab program after that. It's what he wants, he told me."

"Wait a minute, he told you he wanted to go into rehab? When?" Lou asked her, confused. She leaned down to give a toy to Katie, who was sitting on the floor in front of the couch.

"Um, today, when I went to see him at the police station," Rebecca said quietly, looking down at the floor.

"Are you kidding me?" Caleb asked incredulously. "You actually visited that psycho in jail? After what he did to you and Amy?"

"I didn't plan on going to the police station," Rebecca defended her actions. "I just ended up there, and I couldn't walk away."

"How do you just end up at the police station?" Caleb questioned her.

"Look, it doesn't matter," Rebecca said, not wanting to rehash it anymore. "I went, I talked to Adam. It's done, it's over." She locked eyes with Caleb and the two stared at each other for a long moment. Until Caleb got up and stormed out of the house. Rebecca flinched when she heard the front door slam shut. She didn't know why Caleb was so angry, nothing happened. She shook her head, she'll worry about him later. Right now, she had to focus on Adam. Rebecca turned back to everybody else still in the room.

"I know I shouldn't be asking you this," Rebecca said. "And I wouldn't ask you unless I was sure that this could work. I know it can work, Adam wants to get better. Please, just drop the charges."

There was a tense few seconds, and then Jack spoke up. "Okay, we'll drop the charges," he said, and nobody argued with him. Rebecca breathed a huge sigh of relief. "But either Peter or I will drive him to the facility. You shouldn't be alone with him."

Rebecca automatically shook her head. "No, no offense, but he doesn't trust anyone else. I have to be the one to take him." she argued.

"We're not going to argue about this," Jack replied. "Someone will pick him up at the police station and bring him here. We'll talk then, but if it puts one foot in the wrong direction or hurts anybody else, the deal is off. He'll go back to a jail cell."

"Thank you so much!" Rebecca exclaimed. "I promise you won't regret it."

"We just want to see him get better," Lou said.

"Me too," Rebecca replied. The excitement of Adam's release started to ebb away some, when she thought of Ty's possible reaction. She remembered how angry he was at the hospital, he won't be happy to hear that she asked Jack to drop the charges against Adam. He'll be furious, he'll probably won't want anything to do with her, if he still does now. Rebecca sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. She'll just have to deal with it when it comes. She wasn't running away anymore.

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><p><strong>AN: **What do you think? Please review. :)


	16. Don't Wait For Me

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Don't Wait for Me**

The next day, Rebecca sat on the front porch of the ranch house, waiting for Adam. She had finally given in and let Jack pick up Adam from the police station. He was bringing Adam to Heartland so they could tell him the conditions of the dropped charges and what would happen if he violated his rehab or did something worse. Rebecca zippered up her coat against the cold wind, and stuffed her hands inside her pockets. Winter was definitely showing signs that it was approaching, and fast. It brought with it memories of her and Adam at the park throwing snow at each other, herself lying in the snow making a snow angel and Adam leaning over her to give her a warm kiss on the lips. Then, they would walk hand in hand back to their apartment to get warm. They would sit by the fire with hot cocoa and their guitars.

"Don't worry, baby, daddy's going to get sober and come back to us," Rebecca whispered.

Footsteps on the porch steps startled Rebecca out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Caleb standing there. He wore an apologetic look on his face and he took his hat off his head and held it in his hands. His hair was mashed down from his hat and Rebecca bit her lip to keep from smiling. Caleb cautiously stepped forward and sat down on the bench beside her.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment of silence.

Rebecca looked at him, surprised. "For what?" she asked.

"For yelling at you the way I did," Caleb answered, staring straight ahead. "I had no right. It's your decision who you talk to and spend time with. It's just that-" He stopped and looked down at the wooden slats of the porch. "I know we haven't known each other for that long, but I really care about you. I don't want to see you get hurt again." He looked up at her.

"I'm not going to get hurt," Rebecca reassured him. "Adam is checking into a rehab facility today. He's going to work hard to stay sober for this baby."

"That's another thing," Caleb said, shifting in his seat. "With Adam gone, you're going to be going through this pregnancy alone. What I'm saying is that, I want to be there for you. You don't have to do this alone."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Rebecca said, taking a deep breath. "But I'm not looking for anything serious right now. I just need to focus getting my life back on track and the baby."

"That's not what I meant," Caleb rushed to explain. "I just meant as a friend. I'll drive you to your appointments, or even if you just need someone to talk to, I'll be here."

Rebecca was pretty sure he wasn't telling the whole truth, but she just nodded, not wanting to press the issue. "Thank you," she told him, sincerely. "I could really use a friend like you right now."

They smiled at each other, and that's when the front door of the house squeaked open. Ty came out and looked at both of them. Rebecca held her breath. Jack had already left when Ty came back from the hospital, and she assumed Lou and Peter had just finished telling him what had been decided. He didn't look mad exactly, just tired. What he said, surprised Rebecca the most.

"I'm sorry, Becky, for what I said at the hospital. I didn't mean it."

Rebecca shook her head, shrugging off his apology. "Ty, it's fine," Rebecca told him, getting up and hugging him. "I don't blame you. You were scared and hurt. I understand, I probably would have done the same thing."

Ty didn't say anything. They stayed like that for another minute before they pulled apart. "I'm not happy about the decision to let that... But I don't want to lose you Becky, so if you think this can help, then I trust you."

"It will work," Rebecca assured him. As she looked into Ty's eyes, and saw the skepticism there, desperation rose inside her. She had this sudden, desperate need to prove to Ty that rehab is the answer for Adam. "Adam wants to stay sober, it is going to work."

"For your sake, I hope it does," Ty said. He looked toward his truck and then back at Rebecca. "I was going to go back to the hospital. It's probably best that I'm not here when Adam gets here."

Rebecca nodded, "Tell Amy I'm glad she's getting better."

"I will," Ty replied, then turned and walked down the steps. Rebecca watched as he got into the truck and started it up. He stuck his hand out the window and waved, Rebecca lifted her hand in her own wave. Soon, all that was left of the truck was a cloud of dust.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Caleb broke the silence.

"No, it wasn't," Rebecca agreed, still staring down the driveway. She desperately hoped that Adam could prove Ty wrong, and get sober for her and the baby.

**X/X/X**

Rebecca sat in her army-green jeep outside the rehab facility that was on the outskirts of Calgary. Adam sat silently beside her in the passenger seat. They hadn't really said much the entire drive. Even now, Adam sat with his hands in his lap, staring at the rectangular-shaped, brick structure. Rebecca wanted to know what he was feeling or even what he was thinking. She wanted to take his hand and tell him that everything was going to be okay, but something held her back.

"So, do you want me to walk you in?" Rebecca asked, unbuckling her seat belt and reaching for the door handle.

"I don't need a babysitter, I can make it to the front door on my own," Adam answered, without looking at her. "I'm not going to make a run for it the minute your back is turned."

"I know you don't. I didn't mean it like that," Rebecca amended. "I just thought—you don't have to—I mean, you're not alone. I mean, I'm here for you."

"I know," Adam nodded, still not looking at her. He glanced up toward the building. "It's just this is something I have to do on my own."

"I understand," Rebecca whispered. They lapsed into another long silence. Rebecca watched two people walk along the concrete path that encircled the facility. They seemed to be in a deep conversation with one, an older gentleman, doing most of the talking. The younger man kept nodding and wringing his hands, which Rebecca noticed, never stopped shaking.

"Rebecca?" Adam suddenly spoke into the silence. Rebecca turned and saw him looking at her. His dark brown eyes shone with everything he was feeling; fear, guilt, regret, longing. "I love you." He ducked his head, so his hair fell into his eyes and rushed to continue before she could say anything. "You don't have to say anything. I know, I don't deserve anybody's love. I just want you to know, that I'm going to try and get sober by the time the baby is ready to be born. I don't want to miss a second of his or her life."

"I know that," Rebecca said, reaching for his hand. Adam moved his hand out of reach at the last second. Rebecca couldn't help but feel a little hurt at that.

"But I don't want you to feel like you have an obligation to me," Adam went on. He looked back her, and his eyes were wet with unshed tears. "That's why I'm letting you go."

"Adam, I don't think of you as an obligation," Rebecca contradicted him. "I want you to get better. I love you."

"I don't want you to wait for me," Adam told her. "I want you to make a life for yourself and our child at Heartland or wherever it is you want to be. Be with whoever you want without worrying about how I'm going to feel."

"Adam-" Rebecca started to say, but he interrupted her.

Adam shook his head. "I've thought about this the whole time I was locked up, and after all I put you through, it's the least I can do." he said. "Promise me that you won't wait for me and you will move on with you life."

Rebecca hesitated, biting her lip, but seeing Adam's desperate look in his eye, she said, "I promise, but can I send you updates from doctor appointments about the baby."

"I'd like that," Adam smiled, looking down.

Then, before Adam could push her away, Rebecca wrapped her arms around him in a hug. To her surprise, Adam hugged her back, his face burying in her hair. "I do love you," she whispered, wanting desperately for him to know that.

"I love you, too." Adam whispered back, his voice cracking.

After they pulled a part, Adam grabbed his duffel bag from the back seat and opened the door. He looked at her one last time and then hopped down out of the jeep. He didn't look at her again as he closed the door and turned to the facility.

Rebecca watched him as he took a deep breath and started walking up the path to the double doors at the front of the building. As much as a part of her wanted to run after him and tell him not to go, she knew that it wasn't possible. Adam had to do this, there was no other way he could stay sober. Rebecca touched her hand to her belly after what felt like butterflies started fluttering about. "Your baby loves you too," she whispered. Almost as if he had heard her, Adam paused, then after a second he started walking again.

**X/X/X**

"Okay, Amy," Dr. Kent said, scribbling something down on his clipboard. He put down his pen and held up his hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Amy suppressed a groan, and answered simply, "Two." She knew the doctor was only to figure out if there were any underlying problems, but the tests he had her go through were inane and tiring. Amy wanted out of this bed and out of the hospital. At least, she had Ty, who stood by her side, holding her hand. Then, Dr. Kent told her to follow his finger with her eyes, and he moved his index finger up, down, right, and left. Finally, the doctor stepped back and finished writing on his clipboard.

"Alright, Amy, looks like everything checks out," Dr. Kent said, handing the clipboard to a nurse, who was standing nearby.

"When can I leave?" Amy asked impatiently. Ty couldn't help but smile.

Dr. Kent smiled as well. "As long as no other problems arise, then first thing tomorrow." he said.

Ty gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, knowing that wasn't exactly the answer she was looking for. "Everybody will be glad to hear it," Ty replied. "Spartan, especially, has been missing you."

Amy's eyebrows were drawn together, in confusion, when she turned her head to look at him. "Who's Spartan?" she asked.

Ty was taken aback. He glanced up at the doctor, who had stopped in the midst of his path to the door. "Spartan is your horse, you rescued him from someone who was abusing him." He was careful not to mention her mother, just in case.

Amy gave a short laugh. "I don't have a horse," she said. "I've never even ridden horse, let alone rescue one."

Ty gave the doctor a worried look, who shrugged. "Some memory lapses are common in head injuries. Sometimes patients can recall everything about themselves before the accident, their families and friends and may forget some other less important events that have happened to them. Other times, it's much worse."

Ty couldn't wrap his mind around what the doctor was telling him. Horses weren't just a job to Amy, they were a part of her. How could something that important just erase itself from her mind. "Will she remember?" Ty asked the doctor.

"Ty, what's wrong?" Amy asked him, looking at him in alarm.

"It depends, every patient is different," Dr. Kent answered. "But if you keep her calm, in an environment that is familiar to her, and don't pressure her, those memories might come back."

What if they don't? The horrible thought wouldn't go away once Ty thought it. Ty mentally shook himself, he couldn't think like that. Amy will remember her work with horses, it's a part of her. You just don't lose something like that. It was then that Ty noticed Amy still looking at him, waiting for him to answer her question.

Ty thought quickly. "Nothing, I just remembered a paper I have to do for one of my classes," he lied, not wanting to upset her just yet with the truth.

"You know, you're a horrible liar, right?" Amy grinned. "But I'm going to let it slide for now."

"If you have any more questions, you can have a nurse page me," Dr. Kent said. Ty nodded his thanks, and the doctor left the room after that. Ty looked back at Amy, who smiled up at him. She seemed so happy and relaxed, while, unknowingly, she had lost a huge chunk of her life. It was then that Ty decided not break the news to her yet, there was still a chance she could remember on her own, especially when they got back to the ranch tomorrow.

"What? Why are you staring at me?" Amy asked him, laughing.

"I love you so much," Ty told her.

"I love you, too," Amy said. Ty leaned down, and gave her a kiss on the lips. He promised himself that he would stay with Amy and love her forever, whether or not Miracle Girl comes back.

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><p><strong>AN: **How was it? Please review and tell me what you think. :)


	17. Miracle Girl, Who?

**A/N: **I'm sorry that this chapter is late, this week's been a bit busy for me. But, at last, here it is.

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>

**Miracle Girl, Who?**

"Well, it certainly smells bad," Amy commented as stepped out of the truck. "I can smell the poop already."

Ty couldn't help but feel the pang of disappointment when Amy didn't instantly remember her life with horses the second they arrived at Heartland. Last night, he had told Amy what she had forgotten and to his surprise, she took it fine. Actually, she took it as a joke and had waited for him to say the punchline. This morning when she had woken up, Amy had a lot questions for him, and he was glad at least that seemed curious about her old life. But it still seemed like she was only going along with this just to appease him.

"Did I have a sense of smell?" Amy questioned, staring at the barn. "There was no way I would have been able to get close an animal that smells that bad."

"You thought of it as your own personal brand of perfume," Ty told her, coming up to her and putting his arm across her shoulders. Amy scrunched up her nose and looked up at him.

"Really?" she asked doubtfully.

Ty just smiled. "C'mon," he said, leading her to the barn. Spartan nickered a greeting when they entered the barn. The gelding pawed at the stall door and tossed his head. He nickered again.

"I'm gonna guess this is Spartan," Amy said, edging closer to the horse.

Ty looked at her in surprise. "Yeah," he replied. "Did you remember that?"

"No," Amy said, crushing Ty's excitement. "The collar he's wearing says Spartan on it."

"Oh," Ty said, trying to mask his disappointment. "And that's a halter he's wearing."

"Good to know," Amy nodded, looking back at the gelding. "He is beautiful." When she stepped closer, Spartan thrust his nose into Amy's hand, startling her a bit. Not finding any treats, Spartan huffed his disappointment. Amy stiffened though, when Spartan put his nose up to her face and nuzzled her hair. "What's he doing? Is he going to bite me?"

"No, no, no, Spartan would never bite anyone," Ty assured her. "He's just being friendly. Come on, Spartan, back." He shooed the gelding away with his hand. Spartan tossed his head, and jumped back at the sudden movement.

Suddenly, Amy wasn't in the barn anymore.

_She was in a small, metal box that moved underneath her feet. Thunder boomed from outside, and lightening lit the interior. The sound of rain drummed furiously on the roof. Amy's heart raced and sweat slicked down her spine. She called out for anybody who could hear and banged the walls with her...hooves? There was an ear-splitting crack and then the trailer started sliding._

She let out a scream and then she was back in the barn with Ty.

Amy let out a gasp and looked wide-eyed at Ty. "Amy, what's wrong?" Ty asked her, worry hitched in his voice.

"I—um..." Amy licked her lips, trying to gather her thoughts. "There was an accident, Spartan was in the trailer. I think I might have been there too."

"That's right," Ty said, encouragingly. "Do you remember anything else?"

Amy shook her head, feeling frustrated. She knew there was something more, but she just couldn't remember. Amy closed her eyes, trying to will the memories to come. She felt Ty put his hands on her shoulders, but she kept her eyes closed.

"Hey, Amy, don't force it," Ty said softly. "The memories will come when you least expect them to."

With a sigh, Amy opened her eyes. "It's just frustrating," she confessed. "It's like I can feel a piece of myself missing, but I have no idea what that is. And when I look at Spartan, I can get a glimpse of it, but it is fuzzy and distorted." She let out a growl in frustration.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Ty soothed her, pulling her into a hug. Amy let herself be folded up in his embrace, feeling safe and secure. "Come on, let's go get some lunch." Amy mumbled an agreement and slightly disengaged herself from Ty. Ty rubbed her back as they started walking to the house.

**X**

Ten minutes later, Amy and Ty were sitting in the kitchen eating sandwiches. It was just like old times; talking and laughing together. The only thing was that the subject of horses were off-limits, it was just easier that way. Amy wasn't ignoring her problem exactly, it was just if she thought about horses and her apparent past with them, she became frustrated and angry. Ty had been right; if she stayed calm and acted normal then the memories would come back. She was just getting impatient, she wanted to feel whole again.

"So, I was thinking, we could put an offer on the ranch and see what happens," Ty was saying. "Unless, after what happened, you're not comfortable with it."

Amy put down her glass of water and shook her head. "No, I still love that ranch more than anything and I will remember the horses and everything I do with them. I will." she told him. "I'm not giving up on that life or a life with you."

"Okay," Ty said with a smile. "Then, by tomorrow, we'll be one step closer to getting a ranch of our own." He reached across the table and took Amy's hand in his. Amy smiled at him, squeezing his hand in return.

"I am in some serious need of some coffee," Rebecca said as she came sweeping into the kitchen, carrying her guitar. She stopped when she saw Ty staring at her with a raised eyebrow. She corrected herself. "Maybe some water instead."

Rebecca walked to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. She gulp down a long swig of water. "Yeah, that didn't help." she sighed.

"Are you okay?" Amy asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rebecca answered, screwing the cap back on the bottle. "I've just been working on a song all morning. I dreamt the lyrics last night, but I can't remember all of them. Now, I have this pounding headache and my stomach is a little queasy."

"You should be taking it easy," Ty told her. "Not stressing yourself out."

"Music isn't stress for me, it's the opposite," Rebecca said. "It's just I haven't written any new songs lately and I'm mad at myself for forgetting this one." She sighed and plopped down in a chair, placing her guitar on the floor next to her.

"I know how you feel," Amy replied, putting her chin in her hand.

"Oh, yeah," Rebecca said, remembering Amy's condition. "Do you remember anything?"

Amy sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I remembered a little from the accident with my mom and Spartan, but that's it," Amy explained. "I still have no idea how I was this 'Miracle Girl'. I mean, how exactly did I fix twelve-hundred pound animals?"

"I've told her about some of the techniques she used, but I didn't want to overwhelm her with too much information," Ty told Rebecca.

"Good point," Rebecca said, then she turned to Amy. "I haven't known you for that long, but from what I've seen, you did—do have a natural gift with horses. Something like that doesn't just go away. Have you tried just working with a horse to see what happens?"

Amy's eyes seemed to light up. "You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea," Amy said. "And I'm up to try anything."

"I don't know, Amy," Ty hesitated. "It could be dangerous. Horses are unpredictable animals, are you really sure you can handle yourself if something happens?"

"I'll never know until I try," Amy said. They argued a little bit more, but in the end Amy won, just like she always does. Ty didn't like Amy putting herself in possible dangerous situations, but he knew how much she wanted to remember her work. Heck, he wanted her to remember. Ty had to learn to take a step back and let Amy figure things out on her own. But he was going to be there for her in case she needed him.

**X**

Fifteen minutes later, Amy was standing in the middle of the round pen with Spartan. Now that she was here, she had no idea what she was thinking. What if she couldn't do this? Spartan was standing relaxed with his head lowered in front of her and Amy had no idea what to do. Amy hesitantly unclipped the lead rope from the halter. Spartan's ear flickered forward and he raised his head a little. Amy tensed, unsure of what the gelding was going to do. They both waited.

"So, I just chase him around the ring until he trusts me?" Amy asked Ty. He and Rebecca were both standing outside the ring, watching.

"Yeah," Ty assured her. "But he already trusts you, so it shouldn't take that long. Just look for the signs I told you about."

Amy nodded and flicked the lead rope in Spartan's direction. The gelding flicked an ear at the rope, but otherwise remained motionless. She did it again, this time snapping the rope on the ground. Spartan still didn't move. Gritting her teeth, Amy lunged at the gelding, rope raised above her head. Spartan shied away and broke into a trot. He stopped a few feet away and looked back at Amy. Amy started after him with the rope and Spartan broke into a canter right away.

_Rain pattered down from the slate gray sky, making a soft pitter-patter sound. But she barely notice, her gaze was only for the distraught black gelding in front of her. The gelding whinnied, bucked, and galloped his way around the round pen, trying to get away from her. She swallowed hard when his menacing gaze landed on her for just a second._

Amy blinked as the memory came and went before she could even process what it was. She was certain the horse was Spartan, but angrier and more frightened. Amy vaguely heard Ty ask her if she was okay. She nodded. She looked back at Spartan, who had stopped running and was looking at her curiously. Amy flicked the lead rope on the ground again, and Spartan started cantering again. As the gelding ran, Amy couldn't help but admire the fluidity in his movement, and the sheer power of his muscles rippling under his shiny, black coat. His forelegs stretched forward as he ate up the ground.

"_I know that you blame me!"_

_The rain was coming down harder now, soaking both her and the horse. The black gelding whinnied and galloped faster. She swiped her dripping hair out of her face and focused more intensely on the horse. He wasn't escaping this, they both have to come to terms with what happened and face their demons._

"_But it's not my fault!" she yelled again. "It's not my fault!"_

Spartan's canter slowed to a trot as he lowered his head, making chewing movements with his mouth. His inside ear was turned toward Amy, unmoving. Amy sucked in a gasp, surprised. She remembered feeling the exact same thing, the very first time she joined up with Spartan. Back then, she hadn't expected it to work. She had only been trying to sort out her feelings about the accident, and, in a way, once she had forgiven herself, Spartan was able to trust her.

_She slowly turned her back to the black gelding. The horse's hoofbeats slowed to a stop, until all she could hear was the steady drumbeat of rain and the gelding's labored breathing. She held her breath and tried to calm her racing heart. Then, she heard the soft thud of hoofbeats as the horse started walking closer to her._

_Closer..._

_Closer..._

The hoofbeats echoed in Amy's mind as she listened to the real ones coming up behind her. She felt the hot breath on the back of her neck before she felt Spartan nuzzle her hair. Amy turned her head, and stroked his soft nose with her hand. He blew gently into her face and she smiled. She turned fully around and looked into his soft brown eyes.

"Hey, boy," Amy whispered. She remembered him now. Spartan was the catalyst for her wanting to help all abused and frightened horses. She'd vowed never to let another horse suffer as long as she could help it. Amy wasn't going to break that promise. She looked back towards the gate and saw Ty and Rebecca watching her. Amy smiled at Ty, who smiled back at her grandly.

"Welcome back, Miracle Girl!" he called to her. Ty unlatched the gate and pushed it open. Amy couldn't help herself. She ran over to him and threw herself into his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him passionately on the lips.

When they came up for air, Amy said, "Thank you."

"For what?" Ty asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

"For not allowing me to give up on myself," Amy explained. "Even when I thought it would've been easier. Thank you for believing in me."

"I will always be here for you, no matter what," Ty told her. "I love you. Nothing's ever going to change that."

"I love you, too," Amy said, her hands playing with the ends of his hair. Their foreheads touched as they were both completely entranced by each other. To them, it didn't matter that other eyes, human and equine, watched them. They were in love, and didn't care you who saw them.

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><p><strong>AN: **Yay, Miracle Girl's back! You didn't actually think I was going to let Amy permanently forget about her horse-healing abilities, did you? So, this story is winding down, there's only a few more chapters left. Please review and let me know what you think! :)


	18. Three Months Later

**A/N: ** Where did all my readers go? I only got two reviews for the last chapter. I used to get a lot of them. If you're still reading, but haven't reviewed, please send a review just to let me know you're still interested in the story. I want to thank Golden Immortality and GKB for always reading and reviewing each chapter. :) Enjoy this chapter!

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>

**Three Months Later**

The two geldings, one bay and one black, pricked their ears as they trotted through the unfamiliar ranch. The tall bay let out a loud whinny, searching for any signs of wildlife, equine or otherwise. A chipmunk scampered from underneath a pile of logs to an uplifted tree root. Despite the frigid January weather, the two horses pranced excitedly, matching their riders' excitement. They lifted their hooves higher than usual and tossed their heads playfully.

"I can't believe this place is actually ours," Amy said, pulling Spartan to a stop to gaze around at the once-neglected ranch that was now hers and Ty's. "It's unbelievable!"

"Well, believe it," Ty replied, pulling Harley up beside Spartan. He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a white envelope. "Because this document says we're the owners of this ranch."

"It's a dream come true," Amy told him, leaning towards him. Ty met her halfway and their lips met in a sweet kiss. It was short, but it sent warmth all through Amy that she no longer felt cold. They laughed when Harley got bored and started to move away, causing Ty to almost fall out of the saddle.

"Do you want to tie up the horses and look around on foot?" Amy asked, once Ty had righted himself and pulled Harley to a stop again.

"Yeah, sounds good," Ty answered, already dismounting. He led Harley over to a hitching post just outside the white-painted barn. Amy followed him on Spartan and then dismounted.

In the end, they decided to untack the horses and turn them out into one of the small paddocks. They would have to get used to living here eventually, and Amy and Ty really wanted to take their time to plan how they were going to fix up the ranch. Harley kicked up his heels as soon as Ty let him loose in the paddock and Spartan followed him at a trot. Then, the two geldings split up to investigate their soon-to-be new home.

"So, where do you want to start?" Ty asked her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

Amy pretended to think for a minute, then said, "Let's go see the building that will become your future vet clinic."

"Well, it won't just be _my _vet clinic," Ty protested as they started walking toward the matching white building a few yards to the left of the barn. "It will also be your office for consulting with new clients."

"We'll see how well that will work out," Amy mused, smiling.

"What's that supposed to me?" Ty queried, looking down at her.

"Nothing," Amy laughed, shaking her head as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'll love to work right next to you all day long."

"On second thought, maybe it's not such a good idea," Ty joked as they stopped in front of the door. "Maybe, it's best if we keep out work lives separate."

"Hey!" Amy exclaimed, punching him lightly in the arm.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Now, it was Ty's turn to laugh at Amy's indignant reaction. "I can't wait to start our new life together, Mrs. Borden." He fingered the white-gold wedding band on her left hand.

"Technically, we've already started it," Amy said, then lowered her voice and leaned toward Ty. "Now, come on, unlock this door, so that we can start designing your new clinic."

"You know what, I have a better idea," Ty replied, suddenly steering Amy away from the building and started walking towards the two-story ranch house. "We have yet to take a tour of our new home."

"Actually, we did," Amy corrected him. "Remember, we walked through the whole ranch with grandpa, my dad, and Lou. Lou nitpicked about everything in the house needing to be repaired and grandpa and dad argued about whether we should renovate the barn and outbuilding or just bulldoze _'those damn things down and start fresh_'."

"Yeah, how could I forget," Ty said. He leaned close to her ear. "I was thinking of a more in-depth tour." Amy felt a blush creep onto her cheeks when his lips touched the spot just behind her ear. His arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her closer as his lips traveled along her jaw. Her pulse raced at his touch and she bit her lip.

"Ty, we're—-" Amy attempted to push him away, but it was futile.

"Alone," Ty finished her sentence. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "No one knows were here and we're, technically, still on our honeymoon." Ty touched his lips to her cheek and then started traveling down.

"Alright, alright," Amy said as she succeeded in pushing Ty back a little. "Open the door, now."

Ty grinned and turned to unlock the front door of the ranch house. It was then that Amy heard a small sound, like something bumping into a wall. Amy spun around, searching for the source of the sound. "Did you hear that?" she asked Ty.

"It was just Harley or Spartan in the paddock," Ty answered, reaching for her hand. The door was open now. "Come on."

"No, it came from the barn," Amy said, still staring at the barn.

"Are you sure?" Ty asked her, following her gaze to the barn.

"Positive," Amy replied, then stepped off the small porch. "I'm going to go see what it was."

Ty immediately jumped off the porch after her and grabbed her arm. "Hold on, I'll go check it out and you stay right here, just in case it's something dangerous."

Amy choked back a laugh. "Ty, what do you think is in there?"

Ty shrugged. "I don't know, an escaped convict with a gun or a raccoon with rabies?" he suggested.

Amy laughed even more and shook her head. "Well, unless it is a rabid raccoon carrying a shotgun, I don't think it's anything we really have to worry about." she said. "I just want to know what it was, in case it's something we have to fix."

"If the structure isn't stable, then you really shouldn't go in," Ty told her, blocking her path.

"Will you relax," Amy said, then, after seeing the concern on Ty's face, she changed her approach. "You're right. It was probably nothing anyway." Amy was almost too pleased with herself when Ty seemed to believe her and started to steer her in the opposite direction. Amy took two steps forward, then did an about face and took off toward the barn, laughing. "Just a peek!" she called to him.

She heard Ty call after her, and then his footsteps as he ran to catch her. Amy really didn't think it was anything dangerous, it was probably a small animal or an object falling to the ground. She slowed when she reached the entrance and stepped softly inside, her boots quiet on the concrete floor. Dirt and old hay covered the ground, but the twelve stalls looked intact. Suddenly, there was a rustling of movement from one of the stalls on the left. There was definitely something in here.

Just then, Ty collided with her from behind and Amy gestured for him to be quiet. "There's something in here." she told him, pointing to the row of six stalls on the left. They both shared a look and started walking quietly down the aisle. Looking in each stall, they didn't find anything. Until they came to the fifth stall. They could hear something shifting their weight back and forth and when they looked inside, they were both shocked at what they saw. It wasn't a small animal, but a horse.

Through the scant sunlight that streamed into the stall, they could make out the horse standing against one wall. It was a light-colored paint, with a big white splotch cutting across its' middle. The horse seemed to be watching them, but didn't seem to be afraid of them. Even so, Ty unbolted the stall door and stepped in first. The horse snorted uneasily, but didn't move away. Ty moved slowly toward the horse, with his hand outstretched. The horse nickered softly when he placed a hand on its' shoulder.

"It doesn't look like she's been here long," Ty said, confirming Amy's suspicions that the horse was a mare. "But she hasn't been properly fed or groomed in a very long time, and..."

"Ty, what is it?" Amy asked, once he grew very quiet. She stepped into the stall with him to get a closer look at the mare. She watched Ty run his hand over her barrel, his expression studious. "Ty?"

Finally, Ty looked up at her, his expression grim and Amy's heart sank. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Ty sighed, and said, "She's pregnant."

**X/X/X**

Rebecca sat in the waiting room of the hospital, fiddling with her hands in her lap. Being four months pregnant, her belly has extended to accommodate the growing baby inside of her, but so far it hasn't become a hindrance. Wiping her sweaty palms on her legs, Rebecca glanced anxiously at the clock. She was here for an appointment with her gynecologist, but that wasn't the reason for her nerves. Adam was meeting her here, for the appointment.

Adam was still in the rehab facility, but he's been doing really well. He hadn't had any slip ups since he entered, and they think he will be able to be released soon. The one thing that has been helping him was these appointments. Each time, Rebecca could see how excited Adam was for this baby and seeing him so happy made Rebecca feel that they could make this work. Though it was always hard to talk to him privately because he was always accompanied by a sponsor or probation officer. They never really let them do anything afterward either, it was always just the appointment then back to the facility for Adam.

The elevator dinged and Rebecca looked up to see Adam step out of it, alone. He wore nice jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt tucked in, a hooded black jacket open over top of it. His blonde hair was combed, but it looked like he'd been running his hands through it. It was something he usually did when he was anxious, Rebecca remembered. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, and when he saw her, a smile brightened his face.

"Hey," Adam greeted her when he walked up to her.

"Hi," Rebecca said. She glanced behind him. "No bodyguards today?" She'd meant it as a joke, but she saw Adam flinch a little, and immediately regretting saying it.

"My sobriety coach thought it was time to experience the world on my own," Adam replied, and she detected the slight hint of pride in his voice. Rebecca was proud of him too. "If I don't have any setbacks, they think I can be released in a few weeks."

"Adam, that's great!" Rebecca smiled at him. "You've done amazingly well these past few months. I knew you could do it."

"I'm not going to lie, at times, I thought it would just be easier to pick up a drink," Adam admitted. "But all I had to do was think of you...and our baby, and how much I want a future with you both. You're what kept me going, Becky."

Rebecca blushed, and looked down at her hands. She didn't know what to say. Thankfully, she was saved from saying anything, when a nurse called her name. Rebecca glanced up at Adam. "Let's go make sure this baby is healthy." she said.

Adam smiled as he helped her up. Rebecca stepped ahead of him when they headed over to the nurse. The nurse smiled at them and made a comment about how nice it was seeing a young couple expecting their first child. Rebecca didn't say anything, she just averted Adam's gaze and followed the nurse away from the waiting room. They followed the nurse down a long hallway, then stopped at one exam room door and opened it.

"Dr. Shultz will be with you shortly," the nurse told them, gesturing for them to wait inside the room.

The silence was loud after the nurse closed the door, leaving the two of them alone together. Rebecca sat up on the exam table, the paper crinkling filling the room like a loudspeaker. Adam paced around the room, unable to stand in one spot for long. They both wanted to say something, to fill the silence, but neither of them knew what to say. Rebecca pined for the time when their relationship was easy and they didn't have to worry about what to say or when they never had to speak just to fill something, when silence wasn't an ugly thing between them. Suddenly, the door opened and Dr. Shultz came bustling into the room.

"Sorry about that," Dr. Shultz apologized as she set her file folder down. "I was finishing up with another patient. How have you been doing since I last saw you?"

"Pretty good, no big complaints," Rebecca answered easily. Dr. Shultz pulled over an ultrasound machine and sat down on a stool.

"Then, let's get started," Dr. Shultz said. Rebecca slipped off her jacket and pulled up her shirt, so that the doctor could smear the sticky goo over her belly. She was almost used to the coldness when it made contact with her skin, almost. Rebecca looked up at Adam when he moved to stand next to her.

It took a few minutes for the picture to become clear, but soon Rebecca could make out her baby moving around the screen. Rebecca couldn't be sure, but it looked he or she was sucking on his or her thumb. Adam stayed silent next to her, his eyes fixed on the screen. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but she thought she detected a slight moisture in his dark eyes.

"Everything looks to be good," Dr. Shultz told them, looking from the monitor to them. "The baby is developing at the right pace, I don't see any possible complications, in fact," The doctor stared long at the screen. "We have a perfect view of the sex. Would you like to know whether you're having a boy or girl?"

"Yes," Rebecca answered immediately, then remembered Adam and looked up at him. "Unless, you don't want to know, then I can wait."

Adam shook her head. "No, it's okay," he said. "I want to know, too."

They both turned to the doctor at the same time and nodded. Dr. Shultz smiled and said, "It's a boy."

Rebecca didn't know what she was expecting, but knowing that she was having a boy made it seem real for some reason. It was like she could almost put a face to the little miracle inside her. She couldn't be more happy. Looking up at Adam, Rebecca saw her own excitement reflected in Adam's smile as he looked at down at her. Hesitantly, Adam reached for her hand and without thinking, Rebecca squeezed it back.

The rest of the appointment went by in a blur. Dr. Shultz scheduled her next appointment in two months and was on her way. Rebecca picked up her jacket and hopped down off the table. She and Adam walked down the hall to the elevator side by side. He didn't try to touch her again, and Rebecca didn't know how she felt about that.

"We're having a boy," Adam said, still in disbelief. "It's amazing to even think about."

"I know," Rebecca replied as they reached the elevator. Adam pressed the down arrow button just as Rebecca felt a fluttering sensation in her belly. "Whoa."

Adam looked at her sharply. "Are you okay?" he asked her, concern etched onto his features.

"Yeah," Rebecca looked up at him with a smile on his face. "He's just making his presence known. Do you want to feel?"

Adam swallowed hard and nodded. Rebecca took his hand and put it on the spot of her belly that she had felt the fluttering. It took a couple of seconds, but soon, Adam's eyes brightened and a laugh escaped him. Their gazes locked for a brief moment as their son said hello to them both. Rebecca was completely aware that her hand was still covering his and just how close they were standing.

Adam cleared his throat and took a step back, their hands falling back to their sides. "Um, Becky," Adam started, seeming unsure of himself all of a sudden. "I was wondering, since I don't have to go straight back to the facility, if you, maybe, wanted to-"

Rebecca didn't get to find out what Adam was about to ask her, because right at that moment, the elevator doors opened and a cowboy in a black stetson and jeans came striding out. Caleb took one look at Adam and a hard expression passed over his face. If Rebecca hadn't been standing there, she was sure Caleb would have decked Adam. Adam had stepped even farther away from Rebecca, but he stared at Caleb with a stiff intensity. There was definitely something brewing between the two guys, and Rebecca wasn't sure she liked it.

"Adam, this is Caleb," Rebecca introduced them, hoping to break some of the tension. "Caleb is a friend, he works at Heartland."

"I always give her a ride to her appointments," Caleb informed Adam, taking on a protective stance in front of Rebecca.

"Thank you for taking care of her," Adam said, politely. "I really appreciate it."

"Well, somebody should," Caleb replied curtly.

Adam immediately averted his gaze, and looked down at the ground. "I should really get back. I don't want to push my luck too much." He mumbled a goodbye and hurried to the elevator.

"Adam, wait!" Rebecca called to him, taking a couple steps forward. Adam stopped, then turned to face her. Rebecca wanted to say something else, but what came out was, "I'll talk to you soon." Adam nodded, apparently also disappointed that she didn't say anything more. With one last longing glance, Adam stepped onto the elevator and watched the doors shut between them.

"So, how did it go?" Caleb asked from behind her once Adam was gone. Rebecca turned around with an annoyed look on her face. "What?"

"Do you have to treat Adam like that?" Rebecca questioned him. "He's trying, I mean, he's really trying and you come around to make him feel worthless and undeserving."

"I can't help how I feel," Caleb tried to explain. "Whenever I see that guy, I only think about how much he's hurt you. In my opinion, he _doesn't _deserve you."

"Well, with the way you're acting right now, neither do you," Rebecca told him as she brushed passed him and pressed the elevator button.

"Okay, I'm sorry," Caleb apologized, coming up to stand next to her. "I'll try harder to be civil to the guy."

"Good," Rebecca said, staring straight ahead. But as much as she tried, she couldn't stay mad at Caleb. She turned to look at him. "I'm having a boy, by the way."

"That's great!" Caleb exclaimed. Then, before she knew it, Caleb pulled her into a hug. Rebecca didn't try to stop him, instead she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. It felt good to be in his arms, she felt safe and protected. But she couldn't help think about Adam. The way it had felt when they held hands, saw their baby together. She just couldn't erase the whole past she shared with Adam, but she also couldn't stop the feelings she was starting to feel for Caleb. Rebecca didn't want to have to choose between the two of them, but she knew she'd have to eventually. And when she did, one of them was going to get hurt.

**X/X/X**

The chestnut-and-white mare stood quietly as Scott checked her over. Despite being locked in a stall for who knows how long, the mare was friendly and obediently. She had also been anxious to get outside when Amy had led her down the barn aisle. The mare didn't even seem to mind when Spartan and Harley ran up to the gate of their paddock to check out the new horse. Amy hoped the news was good when Scott straightened up.

"Well, you were right," Scott said, laying his arm over the mare's back. The mare flicked an ear backwards, but didn't move. "She is definitely pregnant, and by the looks of it, she could drop the foal in the next few weeks."

"That soon?" Amy asked him, concerned. "Will the foal be okay? I mean, we don't know how she's been here."

"We know she wasn't here when we first looked at the place," Ty said to her. "Her body condition isn't bad, yeah, she's skinny, but she couldn't have been here for more than a few weeks."

"Ty's right," Scott agreed. "If you get some good feed into her and give her plenty of exercise, I don't see any problems to worry about."

"You hear that girl, you and your baby are going to be okay," Amy soothed to the mare, stroking the large blaze on her face. The mare looked at her through her one blue eye and one brown eye, and snorted softly.

"I'll get the word out to see if anybody reported a pregnant mare missing," Scott said as he started to pack up his stuff. "Hopefully, somebody will come forward."

_And if they don't, she will always have a home at Heartland, _Amy thought to herself. She said goodbye to Scott and Ty thanked him for coming out so quickly. The two walked to Scott's truck talking about whatever was happening at the vet clinic currently. Amy was left alone with the mare. She started stroking the mare's neck, her fingers automatically moving in small circles. The mare snorted and lowered her head to nibble on some grass.

"Not in the mood for some relaxation," Amy laughed as the mare gave the lead rope a tug to try get to some longer grass a few feet away.

"Okay, ready to take her to Heartland?" Ty asked when he came back over to them.

"Actually, I was thinking," Amy said, watching the mare graze, then looked up at Ty. "We're going to be moving in here in the next few days, why don't we just leave her here? We don't want to cause her anymore stress of moving to unfamiliar place. We can leave Spartan with her, so she's not by herself."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Ty replied. "It makes sense anyway."

"Okay," Amy smiled, and gave the lead rope a tug. "C'mon, Destiny, let's go meet Spartan." She started walking the mare to the paddock where Spartan and Harley were.

"Hold on!" Ty said, hurrying to catch up to her. "What did you just call her?"

"Destiny? I thought it was a nice name for her," Amy answered innocently.

"Amy, you know, she might belong to someone," Ty told her gently, putting his arm around her shoulders. "If you name her, then you're going to get attached, and..." He trailed off.

"I know, I know," Amy said. "It's only temporary, but we can't just call her 'that mare' while she's here, can we?"

"Okay, you're right," Ty reluctantly gave in. "You've been doing this longer than I've known you, so I'll have to trust you know what you're doing."

"Thank you," Amy replied as they reached the paddock. Amy let Destiny into the paddock and Ty led Harley out, so that they could have a ride back to Heartland. Spartan greeted the mare happily, then the two horses broke into a trot across the paddock. Harley let out a loud whinny at being left out, and Ty had to keep a firm hold on him so that he didn't try to run after them.

"Can you believe it?" Ty asked suddenly.

Amy looked over at him. "What?"

Ty looked back at her and smiled. "Destiny is the first horse of many we're going to help at our new ranch." Amy smiled at him and leaned her head on his shoulder as they watched the two horses, one black and one brown-and-white, graze side by side.

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><p><strong>AN: **I hope you enjoyed that nice, long chapter, because now I need your help. What should be the name of Amy and Ty's new ranch? List your suggestions in the review box down below and hit send. Please? :)


	19. New Beginnings

**A/N:** I want to thank everybody who has supported this story from the beginning, all your reviews always make want to write more and often. Thank you again! I want to thank Cassia for her suggestion for Amy and Ty's new ranch name. I had gotten a few interesting ones too, but that one I liked the best. :) This is the second-to-last chapter, so enjoy!

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Eighteen<strong>

**New Beginnings**

The past week was filled with floor samples and new furniture to get their new home ready to be lived in. There was also a lot of hammering, sawing, and arguing, there was a lot of arguing. When the weather permitted, everybody was over at Miracle Ranch, the name of Amy and Ty's new ranch. Everything was almost all done, the ranch house was newly refurnished, and the clinic and barn shone with new coats of paint. Spartan, Harley, and Destiny were already enjoying their new home. The only thing left to do were odds and ends.

"Where is Tim?!" came Jack's voice as he strode into the yard with tools and a two-by-four in his hands. "We were supposed to work on the fence today and as usual, he's nowhere to be found." It was only a few boards that were either rotted through or broken on the far side of the pasture that needed to be repaired. They had spotted it when they had been riding through the property the other day.

"He was visiting Shane last night," Amy mentioned as she stroked her husky, Lobo, behind the ears. "He's probably still there."

"You mean to tell me that Tim is all the way in Moose Jaw and I'm stuck doing the fence myself?" Jack questioned, shaking his head.

"I'll help you, Jack," Ty volunteered as he stopped in the middle of unloading his truck. "Peter and Lou are on their way, I'm sure Peter will help, too."

"I'd help too, but Lou will have me wrapped up in picking linens for the house," Amy grimaced just as Lou and Peter's car appeared in the driveway. "Help me." She looked toward Ty, who came over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"If I could get you out of this, I would," Ty said. "But I'm needed out here, and it won't be for that long."

Amy pouted for a minute, then brightened. "Hey, it's not just my house, it's yours too," Amy replied. "You should have a say about what it looks, besides repairing a fence is really only a two-man job. Grandpa and Peter will be fine."

"Nice try," Ty smiled, sliding his hands up and down her arms. "But I'd rather take my chances out here." He gave Amy a quick kiss on the lips, but pulled away before she could deepen it. "Good luck!" With that, Ty darted away before Amy could take a swat at him, all the while he was laughing.

"I'll make you pay for this!" Amy called to him.

"Make him pay for what?" Georgie asked as she came running up. Lou and Peter were right behind her with Katie walking between them. Lou had about three shopping bags slung over one arm. Amy gulped, and placed a smile on her face.

"Nothing," she told Georgie. It seemed to be enough for the younger girl, because she just shrugged her shoulders and wandered off toward Destiny and the geldings. Katie started to squeal when she saw her big sister going over to the horses and started to run after her. Amy watched as Ty scooped up the toddler, who let out a burst of giggles, and ran to catch up to Georgie. She was so caught up in watching the interaction between Ty and the girls that Amy didn't see Lou sidle up to her.

"So, have you told him yet?" Lou suddenly asked.

"Told him what?" Amy asked, confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do," Lou insisted as she pulled Amy farther away from everybody else. Even when they were far out of earshot of the others, Lou lowered her voice into a whisper. "Have you told Ty you're pregnant yet?"

Now, it was Amy's turn to be paranoid. She looked quickly over her shoulder just in case someone had wandered close and had overheard the p-word. "No, I haven't," Amy told her sister, after she faced her again. "Do we have to talk about this right now?"

"Yes, we do," Lou said persistently. "Amy, it's great news. Why haven't you told him?"

Amy sighed, giving in to Lou's interrogation. "I don't know," Amy replied weakly. "It hasn't been the right time."

"Amy," Lou said gently. "He is your husband now, there is no such thing as the wrong time. You have to tell him, sooner rather than later."

"I know," Amy agreed. "I'm just scared, I guess. We've talked about having kids, I know he wants them. But we never really said when. I mean, is right now even the right time. Ty's finishing school this year, and he's going to be starting a new clinic. What if it's too soon?"

"I can't tell you what Ty is going to say, because I don't know," Lou said truthfully, but still trying to ease her sister's mind. "But I do know that Ty loves you so much and he's going to be thrilled when you tell him about the baby."

Amy didn't say anything, not knowing what exactly _to_ say. She had a mix of emotions swirling around inside of her. She was afraid that Ty would reject this baby, even though the reasonable part of her knew he wouldn't. She was nervous about becoming a mother and just how much her life will change. But she was also excited for this new chapter of her life, excited for the journey she and Ty were about to embark on together. Finally, Amy looked up at Lou and smiled.

"You're right," she said. "I'll tell Ty as soon as we're alone."

"I really am happy for you, Amy," Lou replied, giving her sister a hug. Amy whispered a thank you and returned the hug.

"Me too!" came a little voice.

Amy and Lou looked down to see Katie toddling up to them with her arms outstretched. Lou laughed and bent down to pick up her daughter. "She's been in a hugging phase for two days." she explained to Amy. Just then, Ty ran up to them, out of breath and slightly panicked.

"Oh, good, she's here," Ty breathed, gesturing toward Katie. "I turned around for one second and she disappears. I looked all over and I couldn't find her. But it's good, you have her..."

"Yeah, it is," Lou said with a sly smile. "You have to keep your eye on them at all times. Kids, especially at this age, are very slippery." Amy elbowed Lou in the side before she could say anything she wasn't supposed to. Lou whispered an ow, and pushed Amy a little. Ty looked at the two of them suspiciously.

"Well, I should take Katie inside before she catches a cold," Lou said as she started walking toward the house. She glanced back at the two of them. "Amy, when you're done with, whatever you have to do, come inside. I have lots of stuff to show you."

When Lou was gone, Amy looked anxiously at Ty, who smiled at her. Just like that, Amy couldn't do it. She quickly made up an excuse. "I should probably go see what she wants now," Amy said. "The faster I get it done, the sooner she'll leave." Before Ty could say anything, Amy turned to leave.

"Amy, wait!" Ty stopped her and Amy froze. "Lou made it seem like you wanted to tell me something. What is it?"

Amy rapidly sifted through her mind for something to say. "It can wait till later," she lied. "Lou, on the other hand, cannot."

"Are you sure?" Ty asked her. Amy nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek to prove it. Seeming satisfied, Ty let her go. Amy breathed a huge sigh of relief as she jogged to house. She wasn't sure how she was going to him about their impending parenthood.

**X/X/X**

"Coming!" Rebecca called as she hurried downstairs from the guest room in the Heartland ranch house. Since Amy and Ty had moved into their new home, Rebecca had also moved out of the trailer to Heartland. Again, it was Ty's idea. He still didn't like the idea of her living on her own in her condition. So, Georgie had moved into Amy's old room and Rebecca got her room upstairs. Rebecca kept telling herself that all this was just temporary. She was going to stand on her own two feet and take care of herself and her son. But right now, she had to open the door for the very impatient person on the other side, who was insisting on knocking louder with each rap on the door. Rebecca pulled open the front door and was completely surprised to see who was standing there.

"Howdy there, little lady," the cowboy greeted, flashing his perfect smile.

"'Caleb?!" Rebecca gasped, quickly pulling her robe closed over her tank top and thin pants. She blushed, feeling embarrassed and unprepared for his arrival. "What are you doing here? If you're looking for the others, they're over at the new ranch. They'll probably be there all day."

"I'm actually here for you," Caleb clarified, leaning his hand on the door frame. "Can I come in?"

Rebecca hesitated at first, then stepped aside. "Uh, yes, of course, come in," she said, walking into the kitchen. "I was just about to make myself a cup of tea, would you like any? Or maybe a cup of coffee?"

"No, I'm good," Caleb declined.

It was silent as Rebecca filled the tea kettle, placed it on the stove and turned on the burner. Finally, she turned back to Caleb. "That will take a minute, shall we go into the living room?" Rebecca gestured toward the living room. Caleb followed right behind her, and she sat down on the couch. She was only slightly surprised when he sat down next to her.

"So, what brings you here?" Rebecca asked.

"I work here, remember?" Caleb smiled.

"Right," Rebecca blushed and looked away. She played with the sash on her robe, avoiding looking directly at Caleb. She had no idea why she was feeling this way all of sudden. Rebecca was never the kind of girl, who became tongue-tied and flustered around guys. She'd always found herself joking right alongside them or even teasing them. But not like this, she could barely look Caleb in the eye without blushing, especially when he was staring at her so intently. It also didn't help that she was still in her pajamas.

"I saw that everyone was out, so I thought I'll stop in and see how you were doing," Caleb was saying. He leaned back on the couch, and put an arm across the back, an arm that Rebecca was very much aware of.

"That's very nice of you," was all Rebecca could think of to say. She wanted to kick herself.

"So, how are you?" Caleb pressed.

"Good," Rebecca squeaked out, and she wanted to kick herself again. "I mean, as good as I can be with how little sleep I've been getting. This belly is not ideal for sleeping, it keeps getting in the way."

"I think you look beautiful," Caleb complimented her. "And I'm not just saying that. Ever since I first saw you at Maggie's, there was just something about you that had me mesmerized. I have only felt this way about one other person, and it scares me that I might be falling for you. I am falling for you."

"Caleb..." Rebecca tried to stop him as he leaned toward her. A part of her wanted him to erase the distance between them, but the other part of her was thinking of someone else. It wasn't fair to Caleb to kiss him, when she was still in love with Adam. But was it also fair to give Adam false hope of them getting back together, when she was developing feelings for another guy. Rebecca knew now that this wasn't just a physical attraction to Caleb, she felt something deep for him. Suddenly, the tea kettle started whistling from the kitchen, giving Rebecca an out.

"I should get that," Rebecca whispered and jumped off the couch. She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed the tea kettle off the stove. She poured the hot water into a mug and stuck a tea bag into it. Rebecca leaned her hands on the counter and took a deep breath. Her pulse was still racing from the near kiss and she took in giant gulps of air to calm herself down. It took her a minute to realize she was crying, why? She didn't know.

There were footsteps behind her, but she kept her back to him, hoping he'd get the message. He didn't. "Becky?" Caleb whispered.

Rebecca closed her eyes, wishing he hadn't just called her that. Her resolve was breaking, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to stop herself from what could happen next. Caleb stepped close to her, so that he was nearly pressed up against her back. His hands were at her waist and then he was slowly turning her around to face him. He didn't seem surprised to see her tears, he just wiped them away with his palms and then cupped her face with his hands.

"Don't fight it," Caleb told her.

Then, they were kissing and Rebecca was awakened. The kiss was everything she'd been missing. Her senses came alive and she wanted nothing more than to be even closer to Caleb. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed close to him, suddenly wishing her swollen belly wasn't in the way. Rebecca didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but by the time it ended, she was dizzy and needed to sit down.

"This just got a whole lot more complicated," Rebecca said, after she pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. Caleb brought her cup of tea to the table and sat down in the chair next to her. He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. Rebecca looked at their entwined hands and then up at Caleb, who gave her a small smile. She tried to smile at him, but she wasn't exactly sure she succeeded.

**X/X/X**

Later that evening, Amy and Ty had hosted dinner at their newly refurnished home. Luckily, Amy had stayed away from the food preparations, it was mostly Lou and Ty making the dinner. Everybody was mostly in good spirits, aside from Jack and Tim's bickering back and forth. Especially, since Tim had only arrived mid-afternoon, after the fence was finished. Needless to say, Jack wasn't happy about that. Now, Amy and Lou carried coffee, milk for the kids, and cups to the table as Ty cut into the cake, a vanilla cake with strawberry-cream filling inside.

The conversation was light, with lots of laughing and joking. Both Georgie and Katie dug into their pieces of cake, the two-year-old getting most of it on her face. The coffee pot was passed around, ending with Jack. However, there was only a drop left. Jack glared at Tim, knowing he was the last to use it. Tim didn't see him, being to busy talking and shoveling cake into his mouth. But Amy saw him.

"Here, grandpa," Amy said, reaching for the empty coffee pot. "I'll put some more on."

"I'll do it," Ty volunteered for her, taking the pot from her hands. "You sit down and have some cake." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and went to put more coffee on. Amy sat down and took a sip from her glass of milk. She watched her family interact and enjoy their time together. Soon, there will be another member to welcome to the family. Her hand went to her now-flat stomach and she couldn't help the smile that came over her face. Lou caught her eye from across the table and Amy averted her gaze. She hasn't told Ty yet, but she was going to, as soon as everybody left.

Ten minutes later, everybody was getting ready to leave. Peter had started up the car already, and was waiting for Lou, who had a dozing Katie in her arms, and Georgie, who was whining about not being able to sleepover. Jack and Tim had already left and Amy was anxious to be alone with with her husband.

"Okay, Amy, have a good night," Lou said, giving her sister a one-arm hug. She added the next part in a whisper, even though Ty was in the kitchen. "Everything will be fine."

Lou turned toward her adoptive daughter. "Aren't you going to say goodbye?" she asked her.

"No," Georgie grumbled, her arms crossed and a sullen pout on her face. She refused to look at either one of them.

"Georgie, I promise soon, you can sleepover," Amy tried to compromise with the younger girl. "Ty and I just need a few days to settle in by ourselves."

Georgie let out a loud sigh and stomped out of the house, slamming the door on the way toward the car, where Peter was waiting. Lou gave her an apologetic look, which Amy returned. Amy gave a whispered goodbye to Katie, who had jerked awake at her sister's loud exit. Finally, she was ushering Lou out the door and closed the door behind her. Amy leaned against the door and breathed a sigh of relief. She and Ty were finally alone together in their new house.

"Is everybody gone?" Ty asked, coming out of the kitchen after turning off the light.

"Yep," Amy answered, walking over to meet him. "Finally."

Ty chuckled. "I love your family, Amy, but," he admitted. "I'm glad we finally some quiet." He arms slid around her waist and he gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Me too," Amy agreed. "Ready for bed?"

"Definitely," Ty smiled. The two of them walked up the stairs arm in arm. When they stepped into the master bedroom, Amy was once again struck by the fact that this was their new life. They were married, living on their own ranch, with a baby on the way. An overflow of emotions flooded Amy in a rush and she sniffed back a sob. Ty looked at her abruptly.

"Amy, what's the matter?" he asked her, suddenly concerned.

"Nothing," Amy said, wiping away tears that had yet to fall. "I'm just really happy."

"That makes two of us," Ty replied. He leaned in to give her a kiss, but stopped and stared at something over her shoulder. "What's that?"

Ty walked over to the dark chestnut bureau and picked something up. Amy couldn't contain her smile, but yet butterflies still swam nervously in her stomach. It was a small, old-fashioned rattle with a horse head at one end. She bounced on the balls of her feet as she watched Ty puzzle over the rattle.

"It's a present from Lou," Amy explained, unable to keep quiet anymore. "She'd found it when we had cleaned out my mom's room all those years ago. She kept it, thinking it was something I might like to have for..."

"Our baby," Ty finished her sentence for her. He looked up at her then, his gaze questioning. "Amy, are you trying to tell me something?"

Amy nodded, and said, "I'm pregnant."

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><p><strong>AN: **I know, I'm being a little mean by leaving you hanging like that, but I haven't written any cliffhangers for a few chapters now. ;) Please keep reading and review, reviews make me write faster. :)


	20. Epilogue

**A/N: **Well, this is the very last chapter of this story. It's been a long road and I want to thank everyone who has stuck with story from the beginning, through the ups and downs. I really enjoyed reading all your reviews, seeing what each of you thought of the next chapter. Now, I would like to ask if anyone would like me to write a sequel? I have a lot of ideas for a sequel, but I want to make sure that's what the readers want. So, it's up to you guys. Sequel, yes or no? And now enjoy, the last chapter. :)

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><p><span><strong>Epilogue<strong>

"I'm pregnant,"

A mask of shock slid over Ty's face and his mouth opened slightly. He stood very still and seemed to be processing what Amy just said. Amy waited patiently, and impatiently, for Ty to say something. She wanted to believe that he was happy, but the more seconds ticked by, the more nervous she became. Then, Ty smiled, his eyes lighting up with excitement. He came over to her.

"Are you serious?" Ty asked her. "You're not joking with me, are you?"

Amy nodded. "I'm serious," she assured him, smiling. "We're going to have a baby!"

Ty laughed out loud and threw his arms around Amy. He picked her up and swung her around in a circle. He didn't stop until they were both dizzy. As soon as Amy's feet was back on the floor, she couldn't find her balance and toppled over onto the bed, bringing Ty down with her. They both laughed.

As soon as their laughs subsided, Ty leaned over and brushed some hair out of her face. "This is actually happening?" Ty asked again, wanting to be sure. "We're actually having a baby?"

Amy nodded, too breathless from her laughter to say anything. Ty smiled and leaned down farther to press his lips to hers. Amy wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him more down on top of her. Smiling through her mouth, Ty pulled back, he chuckled. Amy looked at him curiously.

"We have to be careful now," Ty explained. "We don't want to squish anyone."

Amy giggled over his protectiveness. Ty hesitated, and then, placed his hand on her stomach. "Our baby," he whispered. Then, lifting up her shirt, Ty placed a kiss on her stomach. "I love you already." Amy smiled down at him as her fingers ran through his hair. She closed her eyes, completely content to be in this moment with her husband and future child.

Later that night, Amy lay in their bed, wrapped up in Ty's arms. She could hear his soft breathing behind her and knew that he had fallen asleep. The events of the day were slowly catching up to her, but she still she found herself wide awake. She was thinking about the baby, and the future that they were all going to have. Any child would love to grow up on a ranch surrounded by horses, dogs, and cats. Not to mention all the family that was around them.

"You're going to be loved so much," Amy whispered, her hand on her stomach, right below Ty's. Sleep was started to pull her under, her eyelids drooping. Her last conscious thought was that of her baby before sleep claimed her.

_Bright sunlight shone down on the Heartland ranch, framing it in a golden halo. Everything was exactly the way she remembered it, except something felt different. There was a new presence here, she didn't know who, but it was here. A soft wind picked up dirt and a few stray pieces of hay, blowing her hair into her face. Subtly, the wind turned into singing, and it was coming from the barn. Her curiosity was piqued._

_Amy moved closer to the barn, slowly so as not to scare whoever was in there. The dream sped forward and she was standing just outside the barn doors. The singing was still going on; soft and melodious. A pang of familiarity hit Amy just then, and she sucked in a breath. Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered the lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was little. Amy wanted to run around the corner, throw her arms around her mother and never let go. But she stayed where she was. She admitted to herself that she was afraid, that it could just be her mind playing tricks on her and there was no one in the barn. Just a memory. If she stayed where she was, she could still believe in the impossible._

_While she was distracted with her thoughts, the singing had stopped. "I love that song!" came a young girl's voice. "It's my favorite!"_

_Now, Amy had to go into the barn, she had to know who was in there. Taking a deep breath, Amy stepped around the corner. There was a figure standing at the far end of the barn, in front of the end stall. An gray horse stood inside, looking like a younger version of a horse Amy used to know. Pegasus. Amy let out a gasp. The woman turned, her blonde hair loose around her shoulders. The little girl she was holding also had long blonde hair to the middle of her back and she looked to be around two years old. At first, Amy thought she was remembering a long-lost memory of her mother and herself, until the little girl turned to look at her. Her bright green eyes stared into her. Another, smaller, gasp escaped her._

_The little girl smiled a mouth full of baby teeth, and looked to Marian, pointing excitedly at Amy. Marian whispered something to the little girl, who nodded eagerly. Amy swallowed as they started walking over to her. "Mom?" she whispered, almost choking on a sob. She wiped away a tear that had started to slide down her cheek._

_Marian smiled and stopped in front of Amy. "Don't cry," she told her daughter._

"_I've missed you so much," Amy confessed, trying to hold it all together. She didn't want to miss a moment of this._

"_I'm always with you," Marian said. "I'm so proud of everything you have done, with the horses, and you life." She smiled proudly down at the little girl in her arms. Marian put her hand on Amy's cheek, her thumb brushing away another tear that had fallen. She didn't say anything else, she didn't have to._

_At that moment, the little girl grew antsy and reached out her arms toward Amy. Amy looked hesitantly at the little girl, then her mother. "Go ahead, take her," her mother encouraged her._

_Amy bit her lip and lifted the little girl from her mother's arms. The toddler squealed in delight, and then suddenly she wasn't a toddler anymore. She was now holding a newborn baby. Her eyes were still a bright green, and she looked up at her as if she were the only person in the world. Then, the baby seemed to sense that Amy didn't know what she doing, and let out a long, tearful wail. It was true, Amy didn't know what to do. She wasn't really around much when Lou cared for Katie, now she wished she had been._

"_Mom, what do I do?" Amy asked, looking up for her mother. But she wasn't there anymore. "Mom?" Amy turned around, searching the barn for her mother, but to no avail. There was nobody in the barn besides her and the baby. "Mom!"_

_Amy's eyes filled with tears, she hadn't gotten to say goodbye. Again. She had thought she'd gotten over the loss of her mother all those years ago, but the wound felt fresh now, threatening to pull her under. But she couldn't succumb to it, she had a screaming baby in her arms, who needed her. So, Amy started walking, and rocking the baby back and forth, making shushing noises to her. The baby didn't seem to hear her, she just kept screaming and crying._

_Screaming._

_Crying._

Amy awoke with a start, still able to hear the crying even now. She sat up and looked at the clock, it was only ten minutes after one, in the morning. She sighed and pulled her long, blonde hair off her sweaty neck. Amy looked at Ty, wanting, needing some comfort from that weird, emotional dream. But once she saw him, sleeping peacefully, Amy just didn't have the heart to wake him. She smiled a little, touching his face, her finger sliding down the side of his face, along his jaw to his chin. An image of the baby girl from the dream surfaced, the way she had the same sparkling eyes as Ty.

Suddenly, Amy wasn't so panicked anymore. She still didn't have all the answers about how to take care of a baby, but it was okay. She and Ty would figure it out together, and as long as they tried to their best, that is what counts. As long as they love their child with all their hearts, everything else will work itself out. Feeling better, Amy lied back down, her head on Ty's shoulder. She fell back into sleep, breathing in the familiar scent of him.

**X/X/X**

_Ty recognized the house immediately as he stood inside the small kitchen with its' cluttered kitchen table and its' endless pile of dirty dishes in the sink. It was the house he grew up in before his parents separated. He didn't know why he was here, he hasn't thought about this house in a long time. Even now, he didn't know why he was here._

"_Daddy!"_

_Ty spun around at the sound of the child's voice. He didn't stop to think who it might be, he just knew he had to get them now. A giggle followed the child's voice, sounding like it came from farther into the house. Ty stepped into the dark hallway and he thought he saw a patch of light-colored hair cut down the hall on the left. There was more laughter. Ty followed the child down the hall on the left, already knowing where it led._

"_Gotta catch me!"_

_The door on the right was just swinging closed when Ty approached it. With a grin, Ty pushed open the door open and stepped inside. The room was empty with its' light blue paint on the wall and posters of dirt bikes, motorcycles, and sports. The bed was pushed up against the far wall, but it still left little space in the small room. Though, Ty remembered always feeling safe inside his room, away from his parents, no one could hurt him here._

_Just then, there was a giggle behind him. Ty turned around and that's when he saw him. A boy, about five-years-old, stood just behind the door, his hands covering his mouth. He had light-blonde hair that fell across his forehead in a slant and he had the same green eyes as Ty. Ty knelt down to the boy's level._

"_I found you," he said to the boy._

_The little boy smiled big and ran to him. Ty caught him as the boy barreled into him, throwing his small arms around Ty's neck. The boy looked up at Ty with his green eyes and said, "Hi, daddy."_

_Even though, Ty had a feeling since he first heard the child's voice, it was another thing to hear that child say the words. He was a father. This child was his son. He never wanted to let him go. Suddenly, there was a loud bang from the front door slamming shut and and heavy boot steps on the hardwood floor._

_The little boy's eyes grew wide and, suddenly, he was across the room huddled in the corner. Ty was now standing in the doorway, staring at the child. "I'm sorry, daddy, I didn't mean it!" the little boy whimpered. He peered at him through his fingers._

"_It's ok-" Ty stopped when the boy flinched at the sound of his voice. That's when he saw the bruises up and down the little boy's arms. He now remembered, sitting in the exact same spot when he was little, whenever Wade had come into his room. Ty had made peace with Wade now, but what he did to him was still with him in his fears._

_Not wanted his son to be afraid of him, Ty walked over to the boy and kneeled down in front of him. The little boy had buried his face his arms and was shaking. Ty put his hand on the little boy's shoulder, and the boy pulled away from him._

"_It's okay," Ty told him. "You can look at me."_

_Slowly, the little boy picked his head up and settled his terrified gaze on Ty. "Please don't hurt me," the boy said, his bottom lip quivering. Ty's heart went out to the boy, knowing exactly how he felt and wanting to kill whoever did this to him. Until Ty realized, it was him. The little boy was scared of him._

_Then, right before his eyes, the little boy started to disappear. Panicked, Ty reached out to stop him, but his hand went right through him. He could only watch as his son vanished, and then wasn't there anymore._

Ty jolted awake, sitting up straight. He was still wired from the dream, the fear of becoming like Wade and abusing his son, or daughter, like a live wire in his brain. He had always vowed never to become like Wade, but what if it didn't matter. What if it was already etched into his system, it wasn't that far-fetched, he did have a hot temper sometimes. Once was all it took.

Ty glanced at Amy, and saw her sleeping quietly beside him, a smile on her lips. No, he wouldn't bother her with his nightmare. She was happy about the baby. He didn't want to plague that happiness with his fears. Everything was going to be fine. We would try his hardest to be the father that Brad and Wade never were. Finally, Ty lied back down and pulled Amy closer to him. Even while sleeping, she still had the ability to make him feel better, even if it was only for a little bit.


End file.
